


Training Harder

by TheCartoonFanatic01



Series: Training Harder [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Rarepair, References to Leon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23103355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCartoonFanatic01/pseuds/TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: Following a humiliating loss to Galar Champion Leon, the previously-undefeated Bea travels to the Wild Area to train and make up for that loss. Instead, by fateful circumstance, her path crosses with that of a certain Trainer from Pallet Town with a Pikachu on his shoulder, who teaches her a valuable lesson. Wait, who said she had a crush? Semi-AU, Ash/Bea three-shot. R&R!
Relationships: Saitou | Bea & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Saitou | Bea/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Series: Training Harder [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798132
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	1. Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally no one:
> 
> Me: I'm going to write an Ash/Bea two-shot because Bea is one of my new waifus.
> 
> No, you guys. This doesn't mean I've dropped AmourShipping for good. It's still my all-time favorite; don't fret. But after watching the second episode for the "Pokémon: Twilight Wings" miniseries, well, I must say, I have become a big fan of Bea. Well, actually, I was always a fan of her ever since her design was introduced, but the episode solidified my feelings about her. And now, I've always wondered what it would be like if the Sword & Shield saga of the anime returned to the old format of previous sagas and introduced Bea as Ash's female traveling companion. I'd always been banking on that possibility happening. Alas, it wasn't meant to be...so far, that is.
> 
> Well, at least I have fanfiction, so screw it. I'm gonna try and milk this never-met shipping for all that it's worth, which is next to nothing. XP
> 
> Oh, and by the way, this two-shot is set in an AU. Ash is not traveling all around the world with Go in this. For all intents and purposes, it's just Ash and Bea, and no one else.
> 
> Alright, I think I'm done talking about meaningless exposition. On with my first two-shot! ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: I recommend you guys should watch the second episode of "Pokémon: Twilight Wings", if you want to understand some of the context behind this two-shot.
> 
> P.P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
> 
> -Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer  
> -Avoid close contact with people who are sick  
> -Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)  
> -Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly  
> -Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
> 
> And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
> 
> -Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough  
> -Not sharing food and drinks with others  
> -Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)  
> -Avoiding close contact with others  
> -Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects  
> -Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)  
> -Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
> 
> If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.
> 
> Disclaimer: All forms of "Pokémon" DO NOT belong to me in any way whatsoever! All rights of ownership automatically go to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Game Freak, and Pokémon Company International!

She hated losing.

Bea knew this was an immature thought coming out of her, the strong, well-respected Gym Leader of Stow-on-Side. But she didn't hold that title just for show. No, she worked _hard_ to get it and hold onto it, exactly like how she worked hard to understand the complex, centuries-old traditions and techniques of Galar Karate, _exactly_ like how she worked hard to make herself a great force even her own Fighting-type Pokémon should reckon with...EXACTLY like how she worked hard to ensure her victory over Leon. All of that hard work paid off, rewarding her again and again with the fruits of success. A loss in any shape or form was something alien to her, a concept not in her vocabulary.

So...why did she lose?

Why did she let Leon get the better of her?

Why did all of her hard work fail to penetrate Leon's strategies and take him down?

These thoughts, and so, so much more, plagued Bea's mind as she continued punching at the mountain air. Beside her, her faithful Machamp, Machop, and Machoke did the same thing, their movements in complete sync with one another. It was just like any other training session they endured, all the way down to the tranquil yet chaotic environment they were in.

After punching the air for the umpteenth time, Bea lowered her arms and spoke, trying her best to mask the exhaustion, labor, and fast pace in her pants.

"Alright, you guys, let's do some more running! To the lake and back! Come on, gotta break our record!"

Bea started running as soon as she said that, with her Pokémon following right behind her. All around her, she could see the expansive, bustling valley that was the Wild Area. But the breathtaking scenery, amplified by the panoramic view she had from her position on a precarious precipice, did nothing to command her attention. Instead, she kept running on the narrow mountainside pathway.

After all, she didn't have time to gawk like a child. She had to make up for her loss. She had to win.

She had to train harder.

* * *

She should've known she wouldn't be alone.

That was the thought that crossed Bea's mind the moment she collided into someone on her way to the lake. A human.

"OW!" the boy cried, his spiky, raven-black hair looking more ruffled than usual as he sat up. "Sorry about that-"

"Darn it!" Bea snapped as she took a cursory look at her wristwatch. "Ah, great! Now I'm six seconds behind!" Then, she glared at the boy with a hatred that could burn away her insides. "Watch where you're going, tourist!"

She could tell as much from the kinds of clothes he was wearing. They looked a lot like something a city boy would wear, consisting of a blue T-shirt with rolled-up, elbow-length sleeves; dark-blue jeans with small white stripes; a pair of black, fingerless gloves with pale-green cuffs; black-and-golden-yellow running shoes; and finally, a cap with a blood-red brim, a white front with a red Poké Ball outline as a symbol, and a blood-red rear.

Of course, the boy was affronted by her tone.

"Hey!" he exclaimed with narrowing eyes; they were as auburn as...chocolate... "I didn't mean to interrupt..."

His voice trailed off once Bea's Machamp ran up to them. Then, in an instant, the look of outrage vanished from his eyes and was replaced with a powerful glimmer of childish awe.

"Whoa, so Galar has _Machamp_!" Then, he noticed Machop and Machoke. "And Machop and Machoke too!"

"Pika..." added the Pikachu that had previously been perched on the boy's shoulder.

"Of _course_ Galar has Machamp, Machop, and Machoke," Bea growled irritably. In her aggressive aversion to the boy, she ignored the hand Machamp held out to her and stood up on her own. "Jeez, you're exceptionally dumb for a tourist."

Once again, the boy caught on to her tone, not to mention her blatant insult. He too stood up and stared her down, the auburn in his eyes blazing. It almost took Bea aback to see this apparently childish boy take on a more fiery personality as soon as it was necessary. _Almost_.

"I'm not dumb!" he cried. "I'm just learning as I go along! If you must know, this is only my second day in Galar!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried.

"Oh?" This piqued Bea's interest more than the revelation irked her. "So you're _that_ kind of tourist."

"By 'that kind of tourist', I hope you mean the kind that challenges the Galar League with the aim of winning!"

This piqued Bea's interest even more. In any other scenario, she would've laughed and said a brief prayer to the hapless challenger. But judging by the way this boy said those words, she sensed something coming from him, something she'd never expect coming from a boy like him.

It was a flare of soulful energy, one so strong that it could never be snuffed out...one that reminded her of...

Sneaking an excited grin on her lips, Bea then replied calmly, "So you're taking the Gym Challenge, huh?"

"You bet!" The raven-haired boy raised a clenched fist of determination. "And we're in it to win it!"

"Pika!" Pikachu added in agreement.

"Oh, really? Well, surely if you're so confident about winning the Gym Challenge, then you wouldn't mind accepting my challenge to a battle. Only the strongest can compete, and I wanna see if you have the guts necessary."

"A challenge to a battle?" The boy's auburn eyes immediately glinted like a fiery spark. "I accept!"

"Good." Then, before she could help herself, Bea said, "Name's Bea. What's yours?"

The Trainer jabbed a thumb at his own chest. "My name's Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked.

 _"Ash, huh?"_ Bea thought. _"Well then,_ Ash _, you'll be_ great _for my practice to defeat Leon!"_

* * *

She couldn't believe it. She lost. Again.

"NO, MACHAMP!" she screamed as her Superpower Pokémon hit the ground face-first, out for the count.

"Alright!" Ash cried, his eyes shimmering with a childish joy. "We did it, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied. In spite of his bruised, battered body, he gave his Trainer a thumbs-up like it was nothing.

But Bea couldn't partake in their celebration. Instead, as the world crumbled away around her, she ran up to Machamp's defeated form, knelt down on one knee, and placed her trembling hands on its muscular but somewhat burnt back. She was about to beg it to get back up and continue fighting, no matter what shape it was in, but a dreadful sense of déjà vu washed over her. Before she knew it, the tsunami of celebratory cheering and roaring crept back into her mind, and the grass pricking her patella was starting to feel smoother, waxier, faker.

They were all cheering...but not for her. No, never for her. Only for-

"Hey, are you okay?"

The stadium disappeared, and she looked up. At first, she couldn't see much; her vision was somewhat blurred, and she felt something a little heavy tugging away at the corners of her eyes. Then, once she blinked a couple of times, she could make out a pair of auburn eyes. No longer were they shining with youth; now, they looked upon her with confusion and concern.

Walls shot up around her as she huffed defiantly and snarled, "I'm fine."

"Are...Are you sure?" Ash asked. "It looked like you were-"

"Listen here, _tourist_!" Bea shot up and delivered a scathing stare at Ash. "You did not beat me because you were strong! All you had were a Rookidee, a Scorbunny, and that Pikachu! That kind of team is a one-second pushover for the average Trainer in Galar! You won against me because of a...a...a _fluke_ , plain and simple!"

" _Really_?" Ash arched a brow. "I...I admit I'm surprised by how this battle went, but...it looked like your Pokémon were-"

"Don't start with me on my Pokémon! I've trained my Pokémon well, and for years! This whole place, the Wild Area!" She held out her arms to gesture to the expansive environment of the Wild Area that surrounded them. "This is our training grounds! We fight the toughest of Pokémon here together! We work on our forms here together! We run miles and miles and _miles_ across these lands together! We do practice fights with one another, together! We do one-armed push-ups with _boulders_ on our backs together! So don't you tell me I lost all because of my Pokémon! I know my Pokémon, and I know they're better than that!"

"One-armed push-ups...with _boulders_ on your backs?" Ash started to space out a little, and Bea knew he was imagining what that would be like. "That sounds a little _extreme_ , don'tcha think?"

"Well, it's what people like myself do in order to stay strong and take on the Gym Challenge!" Bea clenched her fists and gnashed her teeth together. "D'you _really_ think you have what it takes to complete the Gym Challenge and defeat Leon? You haven't even _begun_ to understand what the Gym Challenge is!"

Ash's eyes widened in anger. "Yes, I do!"

"No, you don't!" Overcome with pure, unadulterated rage, she began to project Leon's face onto Ash's. "You're nothing but a tourist who comes and goes whenever he darn well pleases! You should just go back to wherever you came from, because you're _clearly_ out of your league here! You've got no chance of completing the Challenge!"

"Oh, yeah?!" retorted Ash. "Well, this tourist just beat you, a girl who does push-ups with rocks on her back, in a battle! So what does _that_ say about my chances, huh?!"

That was the final straw. Bea marched up to Ash, grabbed his collar with her right fist, yanked him close, and cocked her left fist in the direction of his tanned face.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried with concern.

"One: don't you EVER call me a girl!" she shrieked into his face, flecks of spit flying from her mouth. "And two: don't you EVER say you beat me! Your victory. Was. A. FLUKE!"

She was about to punch him in a fit of rage when she felt a large, hammy hand gently lower itself on her shoulder. With a surprised gasp, she looked over her shoulder and looked into her Machamp's eyes. It had recovered from the injuries it sustained, and now it was looking down on her with a look that bordered concern and disappointment.

Realizing she had gone too far, Bea released Ash, took a few deep breaths to steady her breathing, and then turned her back on the boy. They were both silent, as if one of them was expecting the other to say something. Neither Pikachu nor Machamp moved a muscle.

Finally, Bea walked towards the forest shade without saying a word. At first, she didn't hear Machamp following her. But before she could turn to check on it, she finally heard the powerful footsteps of the Superpower Pokémon behind her.

Not once did she hear another word coming out of Ash's mouth as she left.

* * *

He reminded her of Leon. That was why she snapped.

This was Bea's reasoning as she literally traded blows with Machamp. Less than an hour had passed since her battle with Ash, and she was back on the mountainside, doing more training regiments with her Pokémon. Her Machop and Machoke were off in the side, seeking shelter under the cool shade of a large rock and rummaging through their bags. Though she had already applied Super Potions to the wounds they sustained, sweat was already dripping from their bodies again.

In fact, sweat was dripping from her own body, but Bea ignored the weight of her soggy, skintight clothes. Instead, she maintained her form and kept her eyes trained on Machamp, who had stopped moving. She thought it was analyzing her stance, looking for an opening that it could exploit. But after a while, it began to lower its arms.

"Well?!" she cried, restraining her own rapid breathing. "Come on! What're you waiting for?! It's still not your turn to be on the defensive, Machamp!"

"Champ..." Machamp replied, its voice clearly full of concern.

"Look, how're we gonna beat Leon next time if all we do is slack off?! We need to stick to our-" An image of Ash and the triumphant look on his face flashed across her mind. "No, we need to double our training! So, come on, Machamp! Give me everything you've got!"

"Ma?" another voice asked.

Letting out a single tired pant, Bea looked and saw Machop coming out of the shade, wearing a friendly smile. It held out its arm to give her something, but she turned back towards Machamp and raised her arms a little higher.

"Not now, Machop! I gotta keep training!"

"Chop..." Machop moaned in dismay.

"Champ," Machamp said, its voice firmer. It crossed its two lower arms and shook its head in disagreement.

Bea was in disbelief, but she held her ground. "Machamp, don't give me that attitude! Come on, start again! _Come on_!"

Despite the urgency in her voice, Machamp refused to move.

**_"I...I admit I'm surprised by how this battle went, but...it looked like your Pokémon were-"_ **

_"No,"_ Bea thought, shaking her head. _"No, my Pokémon would_ never _hold back in a battle. We...We_ lost _...b-because of a fluke! Plain and simple!"_

Dark clouds started to roll in over the Wild Area, enveloping the entire valley in shadow. The temperature began to drop, and the sweat on the quartet's bodies started to evaporate. But Bea didn't notice, as she continued to be absorbed in her thoughts.

_"That Ash boy, he doesn't know a thing! I'll show him! I'll show him why I am the Gym Leader of Stow-on-Side! I'll show him that I've got the strength to defeat anyone who challenges me!"_

Droplets of rain started to fall upon their impromptu training ground, leaving the rocky ground slippery. Machop instantly ran back to Machoke's position to seek shelter, but Bea and Machamp remained out in the rain.

_"I'll show him that I've got the strength to defeat even Leon!"_

"COME OOOOON!" she hollered in a battle-cry.

Machamp seemed to realize it wouldn't dissuade its Trainer. With a glimmer of commiseration in its eyes, it raised all four of its arms and went back into its original fighting stance. The two stared each other down for several seconds before, all of a sudden, a flash of lighting illuminated the scene in a split-second, followed by a deafening bang of thunder.

This was the Superpower Pokémon's cue to charge at Bea. Its body was a blur...but Bea was ready.

It swung its left leg at her. She blocked it with her arm.

It swung its lower right arm at her. She moved her head to the side to avoid it.

It swung its right leg at her. She blocked it with her other arm.

But the impact stunned her for too long, and in that brief, infinitesimal moment, she imagined being back in the stadium, under the sweeping, scrutinizing eyes of tens of thousands.

Machamp swung its lower left arm at her and-

_**POP!** _

"AGH!"

Bea collapsed to her knees, ignoring the small, prickling stabs of pain that assaulted her patellas as soon as they hit the wet, watery ground. Instead, she clutched her forearm, feeling it go hopelessly limp. The falling rain did little to soothe it and liberate it from the great, agonizing, almost burning pain. Machamp realized what he did and grunted with distress, apologizing to its Trainer in its own indecipherable language.

But Bea didn't hear anything of that. Instead, she stared down at her forearm with wide, trembling eyes.

 _"What's going on with me?"_ she thought. _"Why am I slipping so much? What's...What's_ wrong _with me...?"_

* * *

What were the odds?

Even as the relentless rainstorm intensified in strength all across the Wild Area, even as lightning continued to flash and thunder continued to rumble, Bea felt compelled to just wait it all out in the middle of the great torrents, despite all the desperate running she did just to find even the simplest shelter. She cursed her increasingly bad luck for forcing her into this ultimatum. But in contrast to her, Machamp, Machop, and Machoke had already made up their minds, and the trio of Fighting-types wasted no time in passing through the small mouth of the cave they'd just found, joining the raven-haired Trainer and the Pikachu who had already claimed it.

"Bea, come on in!" Ash called. "You're gonna catch a cold if you just stay out there!"

Accepting the help of the tourist who defeated her over an hour ago and sharing the same space as him. This was even worse than losing to him, or Leon for that matter. But Bea was done trying to defy her circumstances. Everything she did and tried to do to turn them around in her favor...just kept blowing up in her face like an Electrode and making things a whole lot worse for her, anyway.

What's the worst that could happen?

With a sad exhale, Bea stepped out of the rain and sat opposite to Ash. She saw the circle of rocks and the clump of dry twigs and thin branches inside, along with the rocks in each of the boy's hands.

"Trying to start a fire?" she asked emptily.

"Y-Yeah..." Ash replied sheepishly. "Can't say I'm having a lot of success in that, though..."

Bea rolled her eyes and stared gloomily out of the mouth of the cave. "As expected from a tourist..."

Ash stood up. "Hey, I don't know what your problem is, Bea, but I usually have friends who do this for me!"

She didn't look at him as she asked, "You have a Scorbunny, don't you?"

"Yes, I know that, but..." Ash sat back down and started striking the rocks together. "I can't just rely on my Pokémon to do everything for me. And...it just dawned on me that the people I once traveled with were always the ones who started the campfires for me. There'll come a time when it'll just be me, Pikachu-" He gave the Mouse Pokémon a warm, friendly stare. "And my Pokémon, and I need to be ready for when that time comes."

"Be ready for when that time comes?" Bea stifled a laugh. "The time's already come, Ash. Isn't it just you, Pikachu, and your Pokémon right now?"

"Well..." Ash looked up at her inquisitively. "I have you now."

"HA! Don't flatter yourself." A flash of lightning lit up Bea's focused expression. "Once this rainstorm passes, me and my Pokémon are gonna be off on our own way."

A distant but powerful boom of thunder punctuated the Gym Leader's declaration. Even though Bea didn't actually see it, she knew Ash was looking at her with a sentimental sympathy. Then, she heard the sound of rocks striking against one another again. It persisted for over a minute, until finally she heard Ash moan in defeat.

"Ohhhhh, I wonder how Brock and Cilan did these things!"

"Oh, for the love of!" Bea shot up on her feet, marched over to Ash, and sat beside him. "Gimme the rocks."

"E-Excuse-?" began a startled Ash.

Bea released a huff of annoyance. "Please don't make me repeat that."

* * *

It was now warm on the outside. Perhaps that was why she felt warm on the inside.

Bea thought spending an indeterminate amount of time with the likes of Ash in this small, cramped cave would be more undesirable than the soundest of defeats. But as she was forced to share her space with the raven-haired Trainer and his Pokémon, she couldn't help but notice something through her observations of him, something she didn't have time to see because of their battle.

He was kind. And considerate. And sweet. Like a chocolate bar.

As soon as Bea got the fire started for him, Ash laid out all the prepacked lunches that he'd purchased from the Pokémon Center in Wedgehurst. Once he called out his Scorbunny and Rookidee from their Poké Balls, he shared the lunches with all three of his Pokémon. They ate noisily, literally stuffing their faces like ravenous children, and once they saw that their faces were caked in food, they laughed heartily at one another. Initially, Bea dismissed their attitudes as immature antics and kept her mind focused on the training regiments she would do once the storm passed. But as the minutes ticked by and turned into hours, she found herself becoming accustomed to their behavior.

Of course, Machamp, Machop, and Machoke quickly joined the festive eating, giving away some of the energy food they brought in exchange for some of Ash's savory-looking prepacked lunchboxes. It didn't take long for everyone to become friendly with one another. In fact, Bea realized how close her Pokémon were becoming to Ash, and vice-versa. He quickly caught on to the things she already knew about each of them, and he even seemed to figure out some things she hadn't already figured out.

And then there was the behavior she noticed in her Pokémon when they were around Ash.

 _"Machamp..."_ she thought compassionately. _"Machop... Machoke... You all look so..._ happy _. I don't think I've seen_ any _of you look lively all day. In fact, I think the last time you guys were this happy was before..."_

The uproarious cheer and the gigantic stadium returned to her senses again. She could see Machamp lying face-first on the artificial turf, while a single, powerful stream of fire shot high into the sky. Then, through this stream of fire, the Gym Leader could see the bright, smiling face of Leon, the Champion...

Which turned into Ash's face.

**_"Alright, you guys, let's do some more running! To the lake and back! Come on, gotta break our record!"_ **

_**"Of** _ **course** _**Galar has Machamp, Machop, and Machoke. Jeez, you're exceptionally dumb for a tourist."** _

_**"You did not beat me because you were strong! ...You won against me because of a...a...a** _ **fluke** _**, plain and simple!"** _

_**"...Don't you tell me I lost all because of my Pokémon! I know my Pokémon, and I know they're better than that!"** _

_**"Look, how're we gonna beat Leon next time if all we do is slack off?! We need to stick to our- No, we need to double our training! So, come on, Machamp! Give me everything you've got!"** _

_**"Alright! We did it, Pikachu!"** _

"Hey, Ash?"

Ash stopped laughing with Machop and turned towards her. He was quite surprised to hear her voice in over an hour.

"Y-Yeah, Bea?"

Bea lowered her face, hiding the scarlet that was blossoming on her cheeks. She felt quite embarrassed, asking this from a tourist like him...but she just had to know.

"How do you do it?" she asked.

Ash tilted his head. "Do what?"

"You know." Bea unconsciously rubbed her bare arm, trying her best to ignore the agonizing pain coming from it. "Win."

Ash blinked. "I don't know."

Bea whipped her head towards him, giving the boy an outraged look. "What do you _mean_ you don't know?! You beat me, a highly skilled and experienced Trainer, in your first battle in Galar! And you say you've traveled before, so that tells me you've been in many, many battles before! To beat me like that..." Her face softened as she trained her gaze on the fire. "You must have a ton of experience. The kind of experience that takes years, maybe a decade to build up..."

Her mind was filled with memories of all her training sessions with her trusted Pokémon, all the way back when she was a child and Machamp was still a Machop.

"You must've won against many different kinds of opponents..."

Her eyes narrowed as she refocused on Ash. They were sitting on opposite sides of the campfire, and it burned between them, the heat and embers slightly distorting their views of the other's faces.

"You know how to win against the likes of me, even with handicaps like a brand-new team! That doesn't happen 'cause of luck and luck alone!"

"Look, Bea-" began Ash.

"There's something you're not telling me, Ash! You may be a tourist b-but you're not _just_ a tourist! There...There _has_ to be something more to you! So..." Bea stomped her foot down determinedly. "Tell me! Who exactly _are_ you, Ash?!"

"W-Well..." Ash replied while rubbing the back of his head. He seemed rather _embarrassed_ to tell her his secret. But the boy knew keeping Bea in the dark for too much longer would incur her wrath, so he said, "I...I _am_ a Champion, b-but-"

This revelation shook Bea to her core. Normally, she'd have every reason to not believe this claim, but the way he utterly creamed her team gave her an open mind of Ash. No _wonder_ she was defeated so easily!

She shot up on her feet, ignoring the new, quick stab of pain delivered to her forearm.

"You're a CHAMPION?!" she shouted, cutting him off. "No WAY! Of which League?!"

Ash was stunned by her reaction. "Th-The Alola League."

"The Alola League?" Bea's eyes widened with realization. "Ohhh, I've heard of it! Its first tournament was only last year." She gawked at Ash with awe. "So _you're_ the region's first Champion?!"

Ash chuckled nervously. "Y-Yeah, th-that's me. B-But it's only in name now. I've relinquished most of the official duties to the region's professor, Kukui, a week after I left."

"Pika pika," Pikachu added, nodding in affirmation.

It was another stunning revelation for her. She could feel her heart straining to beat as she processed this information.

"You...You _relinquished_ your Champion duties?! But... _why_?! Why would you throw away such a title of power?!"

"Because that's just what it is," Ash replied, his voice more steady and earnest now. "A title." He looked into the fire. "In all my years of traveling, I wanted to be a Pokémon Master. That was my dream ever since I was little. But, as the years passed and I saw victories and defeats, one after another, I realized I barely had any idea what being a Pokémon Master meant. My dream had lost its meaning...and in its place..." He gazed fondly at Pikachu, who smiled back at him. "I found something else."

"And that is?" Bea asked.

"All of the friends and enemies I made along the way, both human and Pokémon. From Kanto to Alola, I've met so many people and Pokémon, seen so many things that would boggle your mind, done so many things that should've gotten me killed. These memories are what I cherish, even moreso than my goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, or my status as a Champion.

"So that's why I relinquished my Champion duties, because I feel like the title is not worth the memories I made with my friends...the memories I _am_ making and _will_ make. If I am going to be rewarded for all the years I put into this journey, then it should be with something greater than the title of Champion. I'm still not sure what it is, though, but I know for a fact it's not being Champion. Until I find out what it is, I'll just keep traveling around the world and do what I best: battle and take on the next challenge." Then, his fond expression turned into a bashful one. "I-I'm sorry if that didn't make any sense-"

"I don't believe it..." A disbelieving Bea collapsed down on her backside in defeat, and she gazed at the flickering flames again. "I...I was hoping I'd learn something valuable from you, something that would help me defeat Leon-"

"Whoa, _you're_ taking the Gym Challenge too!" Ash's auburn eyes shimmered with that same youthful energy. "No way!"

"Not exactly. I'm...I'm a bit of a different case." Glumly, she held her legs close to her chest and rested her chin upon her patellas. "Not that it matters, anyway. I'm _never_ gonna beat him now."

At that moment, Ash seemed to realize the reason behind her attitude and her prying, for he asked, "Is that why you're out here, Bea? Leon beat you and you're trying to get stronger so you can win next time?"

"That's the thing. That...That was my first defeat in...f- _forever_... I...I..." Now overwhelmed with emotion, Bea buried her face in her forearms. "I'm not sure what to do anymore!"

She didn't want to, but she started crying. She could hear her Pokémon grunting and groaning in sympathy, followed just a few seconds later by sounds of shuffling dirt and pebbles beside her.

"Look, Bea," Ash's voice said to her from the side, "I understand how you feel."

"No, you don't!" she snapped.

"Yes, I do."

Though she couldn't see him, Bea knew Ash had gone from looking at her to looking at the fire.

"You see, before I became the Champion of Alola, I tried so many times to win the Leagues of other regions. I would go to a region, train myself and my Pokémon every day, beat all the Gym Leaders the region has to offer, and then, once all of that was done, challenge the Pokémon League Conference. But each and every time, I would lose. Sometimes, I'd lose so hard...and in the most unexpected ways too. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos... All of them had the same results, no matter how high I was on the board, no matter how hard I worked to try and get to the top of the top. And it does hurt. It really does."

"Pika, pikachu," Pikachu added with a nod of his head.

Bea stopped crying and simply sniffled. "You are _not_ helping, Ash. I had a _winning_ streak, _you_ had a losing streak. Those are two totally different things."

"But a loss is a loss. There are no categories. Every loss is like a slap to the face, an insult to all the time and effort you put into making yourself stronger. The only thing that matters is how you recover from that."

All of a sudden, Bea felt a gentle hand touch her injured forearm, carefully and smoothly. She hiccuped in shock, but she did nothing to stop Ash from tending to her wound.

"I may not be an expert in emotions, but I know you're _not_ recovering well from that."

"Gee, what else is obvious?!" Bea shot Ash a wrathful look. "All my life, I thought I trained myself long and hard enough so that I could never lose a battle. I thought I was unbeatable. But I was proven wrong! So, so wrong!" Memories of her loss against Leon tugged at Bea's mind as she grabbed Ash's collar and pulled him in close. "I wanted know how you do it! I wanted know how to be stronger! Strong enough to beat Leon! But you...you've given me nothing but SENTIMENT! It's so ANNOYING!"

At first startled by her outburst, Ash's face then softened. "Bea... You can't expect yourself to win every battle. You can't just think you'll always be destined to have an unbroken winning streak. That's...That's just not possible. Yes, to become unbeatable is every Trainer's dream, but...there's just no reasonable chance of that ever happening to anyone."

Then, he delivered a gaze across his shoulder. Bea followed his eyes and saw that he was looking at her Pokémon. All of them, Machamp, Machop, and Machoke...they were looking at her like she was a stranger to them.

"And your Pokémon know it," Ash concluded, his voice firm and resolute. "That's why they held back during our battle."

_**"Look, how're we gonna beat Leon next time if all we do is slack off?! We need to stick to our- No, we need to double our training! So, come on, Machamp! Give me everything you've got!"** _

Bea slowly blinked at her Pokémon. "Guys... Is... Is this _true_?"

At first, her question did not get any reaction from the Fighting-types. But finally, Machamp took the initiative and slowly nodded its head, letting out a soft grunt of affirmation in the process. Then, Machoke followed suit, looking ambivalent as it did so. And last but not least, Machop whined with sadness, but Bea knew it was three out of three.

 _"I can't believe it,"_ she thought. _"All this time, I thought my Pokémon had a change of personality. But none of them did. Instead...it was_ me _..."_

"Don't you see now, Bea?" Ash asked, his voice surprisingly sagely. "Losing sucks, and it can suck hard, especially after you have a great winning streak. But you cannot let that loss eat you on the inside. The only thing that does is alienate yourself from your Pokémon. And the only thing that hurts more than losing a battle is losing your friends."

"Well, what _do_ you do, then?!" Bea shot him a look that was more pleading than outraged. "What do you do to make up for that loss?!"

"You learn from that loss and look forward to the next battle."

"But that's EXACTLY what I've been doing!"

"No. From what you told me, it sounds like you have been trying to bury the issue by training yourself and your Pokémon harder than what you guys normally do. That's not the same thing as learning from your loss. You have to _acknowledge_ your loss. Accept that it happened, look into it, see what you did wrong, see what you already did right, and apply what you've learned to all your next battles."

Bea gazed at the fire again. The power and ferocity of the flames were starting to die down, and they were flickering with desperation in the mercy of the cold air.

"And above all," Ash continued, "you have to accept the fact that your winning streaks, no matter how long they may be will not last forever."

"My winning streaks will never last forever..." Bea repeated.

"Yeah. Losing is a part of life, Bea, just as much as winning. If you acknowledge the fact that those things are two sides of the same coin, then you'll be able to go farther and greater lengths as a Trainer. Do you understand?"

Bea didn't answer. Her mind raced back to all the long days and nights she spent training herself and her Pokémon to the limit. At first, it had been difficult and absolutely grueling. So many times, she had to bandage her body, and it was quite a pain just to eat a chocolate bar in the middle of the day. But as the years passed by and they honed in their strengths, Bea found there was absolutely nothing she and her Pokémon were incapable of doing. The bars just kept getting raised higher and higher with every training session, and their bodies always found a way to accommodate, all as long as they kept their focus on the prize.

They were limitless. Or so she thought.

How was she supposed to accept the fact that all of her grueling training, all of the aspirations that guided it, were all for naught?

Suddenly, her thoughts were broken by a tugging sensation at her injured forearm. Wincing, she looked up and saw Ash was trying to wrap her arm with something. Acting on instinct, she pulled her arm back, though that served to trigger a particularly powerful pain response. Swallowing down a squeak of agony, Bea glared at the raven-haired Trainer, who had been carrying a roll of bandages that he now dropped to the ground.

"Wh-What're you _doing_?" she asked.

"Your arm's hurt, Bea," he replied as he picked up the bandage roll. "But you haven't bandaged it-"

"Stop it. I'm fine. I can handle it just- Ack!" Another stab of pain rushed through her arm. "Just fine..."

Ash's brow was furrowed. "Obviously not."

"Pika," Pikachu added in agreement.

When Bea didn't respond, Ash leaned forward. "Bea, _please_ let me help you. I know you've probably suffered injuries like this, probably even worse than this, and you tolerated the pain for hours. But it cannot hurt to accept help when it shows itself."

Machamp and Machoke all grunted and growled in agreement. As for Machop, the Superpower Pokémon hopped up from its seated position, waddled over to Bea, and placed a hand upon her knee with a pleading look on its face. Realizing her Pokémon were all concerned for her, Bea swallowed her pride, looked at Ash, and nodded with an embarrassed pink hue adorning her cheeks.

Now that he had her consent, Ash leaned in again and gently wrapped Bea's forearm with bandages. She turned her face away bashfully and watched as the torrents of rain continued to pour powerfully outside. The falling water proved to be a good distraction from the prickling pain she felt.

She suddenly saw some movement in the corner of her eyes, but she didn't have time to identify what it was when Ash withdrew from her.

"Alright," he said with a smile. "All done."

Bea looked at her forearm, which was completely wrapped. Then, she flexed her arm; while she could feel the pain, the sensation had been dulled by the bandages. After flexing for a couple more minutes to test her pain threshold, she stood up and stretched to test her body again. Once she felt satisfied about how she felt, Bea looked down at Ash, her face still wearing a blush.

"Th-Thanks..." she said uneasily.

Ash smiled back at her with that stupidly optimistic smile. "You're welcome, Bea!"

Then, Bea glanced at her Pokémon and saw how happy and relieved they all looked. In fact, Machop was so happy that it was running over to her bag to retrieve something-

Her eardrums were dominated by the sounds of moving, shifting earth. With a gasp, Bea looked toward the mouth of the cave and was horrified to see the rocks supporting it giving way, lubricated by the seeping rainwater.

"The rocks!" Ash shouted. "They're collapsing!"

"No kiddin', Sherlock!" Bea cried in exasperation. "Run for it!"

With that, Machamp grabbed Bea with one arm and Ash in another before yanking them away from the collapsing rocks. Pikachu, Scorbunny, Rookidee, Machop, and Machamp scampered further into the cave, crying out in fear. Before anyone knew it, the rocks fell upon the fire Bea worked hard to create, snuffing it out and sending darkness and smoke hurtling through the cave.

Within moments, everyone started coughing from the presence of smoke hanging in the air. Once the cloud subsided and their eyesight was cleared, everyone looked towards the mouth of the cave, only to be met with a dismaying sight.

It was completely, irrevocably blocked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I think that about does it for the first half of this special two-shot! Just how exactly are Ash, Bea, and all their Pokémon going to get out of this debacle? Stay tuned to find out!
> 
> Anyway, I enjoyed writing Bea here! The "Pokémon: Twilight Wings" episode of her gave me the impression that she's an extremely adorable tsundere who abhors the idea of losing, so I reflected that in my writing. Apparently, in-game, she's supposed to be more emotionless, but I feel like an ambitious, tsundere-like personality is more fitting for someone like Bea. I apologize if there is any glaring inaccuracies in my characterization of her, but blame that on "Pokémon: Twilight Wings", since she seems to show a lot of emotion there. Maybe I'll try to factor in more of her emotionless nature in the next chapter, but we'll have to see about that.
> 
> Also, I noticed my writings of Bea gave her a little semblance to Iris. That was not the plan, because I hoped to carve out a more unique and well-defined personality from her as a potential Pokégirl. Not that I dislike Iris or anything. Hopefully, I'll give Bea more distinguishing moments in the next chapter too.
> 
> Alright, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter for my two-shot! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. Escaping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for all the support you've shown me for this fic! I'm pleasantly surprised to see the kind of reaction it got, as well as all the messages I got asking when this was going to be updated. But I guess that's what happens when we are dealing with a never-met shipping like Ash/Bea. It sort of reminds me of OthelloShipping, or Ash/Hilda, which was a small thing back when the BW saga of the anime was airing. Another pairing that I think should have seen the light of day in the anime. Oh why, oh why has the anime forsaken us?! :P
> 
> Anyway, as a reward for all of your generous support, I will be adding an extra chapter for this fic, thus turning this two-shot into a three-shot. It's not like I would've been able to do otherwise, anyway. After all, as I was writing this, I took a hard look at the chapter and what I had planned for it. I realized that it would become pretty long, and the last segment of the chapter would work a lot better as its own chapter. Therefore, I decided to split this chapter. So, rejoice! You get to have an extra chapter of Bea goodness!
> 
> Not only that, but...well, I think I'll just save this for the ending Author's Note. ;)
> 
> Speaking of which, the official Pokémon shipping list, Neverending Romance, is in DESPERATE need of updating. Not one update to it since the end of 2016. It's truly a shame. I'd truly like to know what the Ash/Bea shipping name would be.
> 
> Alright, I'm done rambling aimlessly. On with the chapter! ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: During my research, I came across this rather interesting entry in Bea's League Card in Pokémon Sword:
> 
> "Given special attention from her parents, Bea trained hard with her partner Pokémon since a very young age. This has honed her judgment skills, and she is able to remain calm and collected even when facing dire situations in battle. This leads many to think she lacks emotion, but the truth seems to be that she doesn't want to show weakness. She is sometimes known to show her true feelings to her partner Pokémon during battles. She is secretly a huge fan of various sweets, and this has recently been found out by her fans. The additional attention has made enjoying sweets a little difficult."
> 
> So it sounds like I may have been more on point with Bea than I realized. Hooray for me! :D :D :D
> 
> P.P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
> 
> -Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer  
> -Avoid close contact with people who are sick  
> -Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)  
> -Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly  
> -Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
> 
> And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
> 
> -Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough  
> -Not sharing food and drinks with others  
> -Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)  
> -Avoiding close contact with others  
> -Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects  
> -Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)  
> -Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
> 
> If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.
> 
> P.P.P.S.: Bea is still an underappreciated waifu! Show her some love, y'all!

She hated losing.

Especially to a stupid boulder in her way.

That was the thought that crossed Bea's mind as she continued pushing against the slick wall of boulders that obstructed her path. She could vaguely hear the strong sounds of rainfall coming from the other side. Behind her, darkness reigned, threatening to consume her and her companions. It was only being warded off by the small, stick-like flashlight Bea was holding in her mouth, biting tightly on its frame.

The Stow-on-Side Gym Leader continued pushing and pushing against the largest, sturdiest boulder, with her small but ever-trusty Machop coming in to assist her. But moving this obstruction out of the way was like the combined forces of a Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop punching the thickest, toughest trunk of the tallest, mightiest tree with the intention of toppling it.

It was hopeless, and in the back of Bea's mind, she knew it.

"Bea, take it easy!" a voice exclaimed from behind her. "We're not gonna get out that way!"

"Pika, pika-chu!"

Even the tourist knew it.

With an irritated sigh, Bea parted from the boulder and looked behind her. Ash stood just a couple of feet away from her, right over what had once been the campfire she started for him. She expected him to look scared out of his mind, but his face was unusually calm, certainly not the reaction one would expect from someone trapped in a cave with no way out in sight. His Pikachu, Scorbunny, and Rookidee were as just as cool and composed as he was...either because they matched their Trainer's personality to a tee, or because his very presence calmed them with the hope that everything was going to be alright.

Or probably both. After all, she did just learn, mere minutes ago, that he was a former Champion with years and years of experience on his belt, despite appearances.

"Okay then, _Mr. Former Champion_ ," Bea replied, after taking the flashlight out of her mouth and shining it in Ash's face. "How do you suggest we get outta here, then?"

"Simple!" Ash pointed a thumb over his shoulder, his face wearing his usual grin of optimism, which certainly didn't help matters. "We head further into the cave and see what's in there!"

"Hm?"

Bea aimed her flashlight over the former Champion's shoulder and realized, for the first time, the mouth of the cave was much, _much_ deeper than what she believed. The tunnel went farther and farther until the flashlight's light could reach no further, and Bea could only see pitch-black oblivion.

The sight of the long, winding tunnel made her insides recoil. "Ugh, no thanks. I'm gonna do what normal people do and call for help."

Ash blinked with surprise, then he chuckled and scratched his cheek. "Yeah, that too."

"Geez!" Bea ventured over to her bag. "For someone who was once called a Champion, you sure are an idiot."

The boy frowned. "Hey, this idiot's still alive after nine years of traveling around the world."

Bea ignored his snippy comeback while putting the flashback back into her mouth and opening her bag to scour through it. Her arm grazed along its contents, feeling the fabric of her spare clothes, the rubbery surfaces of her pads, the plastic wrappings of her energy food...

But no phone.

 _"Huh?!"_ Bea did another check of her bag, searching through every pocket and zipper that it had, only to be met with the same results. _"My phone! Where'd my phone go?! There's no way I'd leave it out there in the Wild Area! So where'd I-?"_

The Gym Leader's heart skipped a beat once a memory returned to her with the weight of a ton of bricks. She was in the Flying Taxi, finishing her call with Oleana, Chairman Rose's secretary, when she put the phone on the seat and...

She hit her herself in the head. _"GAH!_ Stupid _!"_

"Something wrong, Bea?" Ash asked.

"D-Darn it..." she muttered while putting the flashlight back in her hand. Yet another thing she had to admit to this...this stupid, complicated _mess_ of a dweeb! "I...I left my phone in the cab..."

"The cab?" Then, his auburn eyes glimmered in remembrance. "Oh! You mean the Flying Taxi?"

"No, I'm talking about the Zapdos that flew me here." Bea glared at Ash. "Of COURSE the Flying Taxi! What else did you _think_ I meant, tourist?!"

Ash's hands flew up. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry! I-I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little."

"Oh, _perfect_." Then, Bea got an idea. "Hey! You have a phone, right?! Take it out and call for help!"

...

"Oh."

...

Bea blinked. "Whaddaya mean ' _oh_ '?"

"I meant 'oh' as in...'oh, I don't have a phone'."

...

...

...

"You don't have a phone?" Bea asked flatly.

Ash chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I don't..."

"Like, as in you lost your phone? Ooooor-"

The boy scratched his cheek again. "As in I've never used a phone in my life."

"Pika, pikachu," squeaked Pikachu in affirmation.

"Oh, okay." Bea blinked again. "Ummm... _why_?"

"Well...it never occurred to me I might be in need of one."

...

...

...

Bea and her Pokémon fell to the ground, anime-style. Then, she shot back up and pointed a quivering finger at Ash.

"IT NEVER **OCCURRED** TO YOU?! **HOW** COULD IT NEVER OCCUR TO YOU?! YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU'VE TRAVELED ALL AROUND THE WORLD, ALL THOSE YEARS, WITHOUT NEEDING TO USE A PHONE?! **THE** NUMBER ONE THING YOU NEED TO TAKE WITH YOU ON YOUR POKÉMON JOURNEY!"

"W-Well, l-like I said before, I-I usually just travel with others."

"Oh!" Bea crossed her arms, her lips curling into an irritable scowl. "So _you_ rely on _them_ to carry your phones for you?!"

"I-It's not like that! N-None of us carried phones, f-for your information!"

"You gotta be kiddin' me. Then what exactly would you guys do if you get yourselves in a situation such as this?"

"Oh, it's simple!" At the same time, Pikachu scurried back up the grinning Ash's shoulder. "We work together to solve the problem."

"Pika!" Pikachu cried in agreement.

"You work together," Bea repeated in disbelief. "You waste Arceus knows how many precious hours to solve the problem, all by yourselves, when you could've saved precious time by calling someone in to help you."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Oh, look at you, Ms. I-Do-One-Armed-Push-Ups-With-Boulders-On-My-Back."

Bea gnashed her teeth tightly. "Hey, that's for building up my own personal strength! And that's something that doesn't require assistance from others!"

"Physical strength, yes, but there's a lot more to learn than just that."

"Oh, yeah? And that is?"

"Being open to new experiences." Ash looked over his shoulder and gazed deeply into the dark tunnel. "You may brag on about your exercise routines, Bea, but when they fail on you in a problem like this and your next step is finding the easy way out, you won't be able to actually learn _anything_ about winning."

Bea's scowl became more pronounced. "Oh, look at you. _Finally_ giving advice on how to win."

"Well, if that's what you're still here for, then maybe you should listen." Ash started walking deeper and deeper into the cave, followed by his Pokémon. "And follow me."

"GAH!" Bea clutched her head in distress. "How in Arceus's name did you become _Champion_?!"

Ash twirled around. "Hey, you wanted help, and I'm giving it to you! I'm trying to help you here! But all I hear from you is insults, insults, _insults_! GOSH! You're the most stubborn, most confusing, most _annoying_ girl I've ever met! You make Misty and Iris look tame-"

"RAGH!"

"PIKA!"

A great blur of silver, light-brown, white, and black tackled him to the rocky, uneven ground, before Machamp, Machop, and Machoke could do a thing about it. Ash found himself staring into Bea's silver eyes, which were now wide with feral rage.

"I told you!" she growled through clenched teeth while she held the boy's collar tightly in her hands. "Don't. Call. Me. A. GIRL! AGH!"

She dropped Ash once she felt the pain shoot through her injured forearm, pain that she felt could've been worse had it not been for the bandages wrapped around that area. With a wince, she clutched her arm and massaged the wounded area lightly. Once the pain returned back to its normal prickly sensation, Bea slowly opened her eyes and looked down at Ash...only to finally realize the position they were in.

He was lying on the ground, and she was crouched right over him, her upper body bent slightly so their faces would be a little closer. Even in the darkness, with her dropped flashlight shining in another direction, she could clearly see the youth and energy rippling in those auburn eyes.

With a surprised yell, Bea got off of Ash and scrambled back to the flashlight to retrieve it. As she did, she heard the boy standing back up with a groan, followed by Pikachu vocalizing his concern.

"Pikapi..."

"It's alright," Ash replied earnestly. "I'm fine, Pikachu."

"Pika..."

Bea took a deep breath to collect herself before bending and picking up the flashlight. Then, she shone it upon Machamp, Machop, and Machoke, who were looking at her with sadness and concern. She could hear Machop in particular moaning with sympathy.

 _"That's right,"_ she thought. _"I need to rethink everything I thought was the correct way to go. Ash may be a tourist...but he was right about my Pokémon holding back on our battle. About me becoming so obsessed with redeeming m-my loss that I alienated my Pokémon. ...About me needing help with my injury..."_

With a sigh of defeat, she turned back to face Ash. "Sorry about that, Ash," she mumbled. "We'll, uh...We'll have it your way..."

"A-Alright," Ash replied, stunned by her sudden change in attitude. Then, that same smile returned to his face. "Hey, no need for the long face, Bea! There should be another exit to this cave!"

With that, he continued walking deeper and deeper into the cave. Bea watched him go, taken aback by how confident his step was, and how faithful his Pokémon were in following him. Then, once Machamp, Machop, and Machoke walked past her and followed Ash as well, she knew there was no more use in arguing and protesting.

So, she quickly stuffed the last of her belongings in her bag, put said bag on, and trailed behind the others, making sure to shine the flashlight down the tunnel.

* * *

She should've known listening to Ash was a bad idea.

By now, she was beside Ash, and they were leading the rest of the group onward. However, they were all sweating, and even Ash's energetic step had become sluggish. Who knew exactly how long they were walking? Minutes? Hours? Maybe almost a _day_? And it wasn't just walking. The tunnel was winding as much as it was long. Oftentimes, they had to climb up steep inclines and watch themselves while they descended rocky declines. Time had come to a standstill in the tunnel, and Bea, Ash, and their Pokémon's movements were the only anomalies. Their eyes had become long accustomed to the darkness, and now, they could see the shadowy outlines of the rocks making up the walls of the tunnel.

"There...should be...another exit...to this cave...you say..."

Bea panted with exhaustion as she trudged onward, stubbornly refusing to listen to her body's aches and pains. Her own body was trying to tell her to give it up, but she knew better than to submit to her fate and throw in the towel. Not when she still had to beat Leon. Not when she was still in the company of this tourist.

Not when she still had a life to live.

"Never...give up...till the end..."

Bea shot Ash a tired sideways glance. "W-What was that...?"

"Never..." Ash gulped in a breath of air. "Give up...till the end. My motto..."

"Oh." Bea stared ahead of the tunnel again; her vision was starting to blur. "First...you tell me...that I can't just...expect myself to win...all the time..." Her grip on her flashlight slackened somewhat. "And now...you tell me...I shouldn't...give up...at all... You're so... _confusing_...Ash..."

Ash looked at her. "I never said...you should give up...on trying to _beat_ Leon, Bea... You just need to...figure out...what you're doing wrong...and what you can do...to make it right... Phew!"

He finally stopped and leaned against a wall, and Bea could hear Pikachu, Scorbunny, and Rookidee joining their Trainer in that endeavor. However, she kept on going, the sphere of her light trembling as the Gym Leader now struggled to aim it properly. Ash watched her go with concern.

"Bea!" he called, his voice a little hoarse. "We should stop and rest a little-"

"We stop, we shave off precious minutes of our time in this stupid cave," Bea grunted, her gray eyes narrowed.

"Bea, _please_ don't tell me you're taking my advice about not giving up till the end- BEA, WATCH OUT!"

Ash's sudden yell brought all five of Bea's senses to the forefront. She finally saw the ledge in front of her, illuminated by the flashlight, but it was too late: a rock underneath her foot gave way, and her heart froze as she saw nothing but blurs and the light of her spiraling flashlight for a second-

**" _BEA_! AGH!"**

She felt Ash's hand grab onto hers. Unfortunately, he HAD to grab the hand attached to her bandaged forearm. Once Bea stopped falling, she screamed in pain as the skin of her forearm was stretched out to its maximum limit, aggravating her injury. It felt like someone was stabbing her forearm repeatedly with a knife that had been left in the fire for too long.

"BEA!" Ash screamed, his voice now suddenly echoing all over. "BEA, HOLD ON!"

"PIKAPI!"

"AGH!"

Bea looked up and saw that Ash had fallen off the ledge too in his effort to save her. The only thing that was preventing them from falling any further was the small twig of a branch protruding from the precipice, which Ash was holding on to with his other arm.

Just then, she heard a familiar grunt and looked further up. At the top of the ledge were her Pokémon, along with Ash's. Her Machamp was trying to hold out one of its muscular arms, hoping it could get Ash's arm within its reach, while her Machoke was holding onto its fellow Superpower Pokémon to keep it from falling off as well. Bea could feel her heartbeat quicken, desperate to receive assistance from her trusty Superpower Pokémon.

Then, her heartbeat stopped again once she heard an innocuous and yet so terrifying snap.

**"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"**

Both Bea and Ash fell through the air, their hands still connected to one another. They could barely hear their Pokémon's cries of terror over their own. Then, Bea could see the ground below them, coming towards them at a high speed-

* * *

_"Bea, come on out! It's time to train!"_

_The eight-year-old girl ran out into the backyard in a blur, her lips curled into the widest smile she could muster. The girl was followed by her Machop, who already looked exhausted trying to keep up with her. As soon as the two got outside, they saw the large training mat laid out in the backyard, the Poké Ball insignia proudly stamped in the center. Standing on this mat were her parents, both of them wearing white karategi that matched hers. Also on the mat were her father's Machamp and her mother's Machoke._

_"So, Bea," the man said with a bright, optimistic smile that showed off his youth. "you wanna know Galar Karate? I gotta warn you, only the strongest can compete, so I wanna see if you have the guts necessary."_

_"I do, Daddy!" Bea replied defiantly with raised fists. "I've got guts!"_

_"We must warn you, Bea," the woman advised, "we won't be holding back. Galar Karate knows how to separate winners from losers. Now, are you a loser? Or are you a winner?"_

_"I'm a_ winner _!" Bea declared, her smile refusing to waver._

_Her parents smiled back at her. Then, her father stepped forward, his Machamp towering ominously behind him._

_"Good. Now then, let's begin!"_

* * *

_**"WAAAAAHHHHH!"** _

_She couldn't believe it. She lost._

_Bea wished that it wasn't true, that these past two minutes were all just a terrible nightmare. But the feeling of Machop's head in her lap, and the sight of its bruised and battered body, told her otherwise. As she continued to bawl loudly like a younger child, she could hear her father approaching._

_"Bea, Bea!" the man cried. "It's okay! Don't cry! It's nothing a Full Restore can't fix. Uh, honey?"_

_"On it!"_

_As her mother approached with a Full Restore in hand, Bea gently laid Machop back down on the mat and watched as the young woman gently sprayed the medicine on her Pokémon. She could see Machop stirring while its bruises faded away. Then, with tears still flowing from her eyes and her lower lip quivering, Bea turned around and started running towards the house. But she didn't get too far before someone grabbed her in a hug._

_"Hey, hey!" Her father kissed her cheek from behind. "Now where are_ you _going, karate master?"_

_Bea sniffled. "My bedroom!"_

_"Aw, come on, why? We just got started!"_

_"But I lost! Now I can_ never _learn Galar Karate!"_

_Her father spun her around so she could face him. She stared into his face, a face that was tanned from all the days that he put into his Galar Karate training, a face that showed off all the effort he put into mastering the art._

_A face that she could look up to._

_"Well, now where'd you get_ that _idea?" he asked._

_"But you said only the strongest can compete in Galar Karate!" wailed Bea. "And Mommy said Galar Karate knows how to separate the winners from the losers! Since I lost, that means I can't learn Galar Karate!"_

_As Bea's lip trembled even more, she heard her mother gently say, "Awww, Bea. Just because we said that-"_

_"But you said it!" Bea hugged her father and began sobbing loudly into his shoulder. "You said it! Only the strongest can compete! And only the strongest can win! How can people win if they are not strong?!" Her grip on her father's shoulder tightened. "I wanted to be a winner! I wanted to be strong! But I lost! I'm...I'm a loser! You're...You're embarrassed by me, aren't you?!"_

_Her father immediately tore her away from his shoulder, and he looked straight into her eyes. She stared back, almost astonished by how much determination was shining in his eyes._

_"We're_ not _embarrassed by you, Bea. We never have been, and we never will be." Then, he smiled again and patted the top of her head, where her rabbit-like black-and-orange headband was. "Looks like you've got a lot to learn, sweetie."  
_

_Bea hiccuped softly. "H-Huh?"_

_"Lesson number one." Her father raised his index finger. "Losers are those who don't know how to win, while winners are those who know how to lose. After all, how can you be a winner if you don't know how to lose first?"_

* * *

_"Dad was right..."_

That was the first thought that crossed Bea's mind as the ground continued to approach. Though it seemed like it was all happening so fast, her perception of time slowed to a crawl at the same time. She could still feel Ash's hand holding onto hers tightly, refusing to let go. His fingers felt calloused and rough...and yet, they also felt soft, just like her father's grip.

 _"Dad was right. All this time, I've been so focused on my training, and nothing else... That was my strategy all this time, to improve myself and my Pokémon physically. I was so focused on that...that I failed to see the bigger picture. How can I be a winner? How can I be the strongest if I don't know how to lose first? That's exactly what Ash was trying to say all along...but I_ had _to be an idiot and doubt his advice! I_ had _to treat him like Rapidash dung!"_

**_"Losing is a part of life, Bea, just as much as winning. If you acknowledge the fact that those things are two sides of the same coin, then you'll be able to go farther and greater lengths as a Trainer. Do you understand?"_ **

_"This is just great!"_ Rocks started to fill Bea's vision. _"I spent the last day of my life being a stupid, stupid idiot, and the one person who tried to help me gets rewarded with death alongside me! Why?! Why're you doing this to me, Arceus?! Is this some twisted karma for how I treated my Pokémon?! Please! Please don't let this be the end! I want to change! I want to turn my life around! I want a second chance!_

_"I don't wanna **die**!"_

**"BEA!"**

Suddenly, Bea felt her body flip slightly, and now, she felt a soft, cushion-like mass beneath her. A split-second later, they both landed on the cold, hard floor, and Bea heard Ash let out a strangled, agonizing grunt.

But...it didn't hurt. Instead, Bea felt like she landed on a pillow. A warm pillow...that had some solid stuff in it...and was also wrapped around her...and also had auburn eyes-

"ASH!" Bea grabbed the tanned face beneath her and stared into his eyes as his eyelids flickered. "ASH, NO! DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU D-"

"Relax, Bea..." Ash croaked before coughing a couple of times. "I'm...I'm fine... Really..."

He winced, which aroused Bea's concern. "A-Are you sure?!"

"Y-Yeah..." Ash looked over her shoulder. "That wasn't...as big of a drop...as I expected..."

Bea followed the former Champion's gaze and realized he was right. The ledge that she fell off of wasn't too horrendously tall, and she could still see the faces of her Pokémon and Ash's staring down at them worriedly. The two simply fell a few feet; nothing that would cause any permanent damage. In hindsight, the whole incident sounded anticlimactic.

"How about you?" Ash asked, still coughing. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I'm fine..."

Then, Bea realized she was back on top of Ash...and the two were closer in contact compared to last time. His signature cap had fallen off, allowing her to see his auburn eyes and unkempt raven-black hair in all of its glory. With a blush, the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader dismounted him and dusted herself, as if she had fallen into a pile of chalky dust instead. As she did, she heard a groan, and she looked up to see Ash trying to sit up.

"Hey, hey," she said, before she could stop herself. "Take it easy, Ash."

"No, really Bea," the former Champion replied. "I'm...I'm fine- ACK!"

At the cry, his hands suddenly flew to his left ankle and clutched it; his teeth were clenched tightly. Worry filled Bea, and she crawled over to Ash and gently lifted one of his hands away.

"Relax, Ash," she said. "Lemme take a look at it."

Acting on her suspicions, she gently poked at his ankle and was met with a pained grunt from Ash. She pursed her lips in concern.

"Oh, no... You sprained your ankle..." Bea looked around and saw her bag, which had been torn open, its contents spilled all over the ground. "Wait here."

She stood up, walked over to the bag, and knelt down to rummage through it. At the same time, she could hear pebbles clattering, and she looked up to see her Machamp, Machop, and Machoke sliding down the precipice with ease, followed by Ash's Rookidee. Machamp was carrying Pikachu, while Machoke was carrying Scorbunny. Once the three Superpower Pokémon reached the bottom, Machamp and Machoke set Pikachu and Scorbunny to the ground and allowed them to run over to their Trainer. As for Machop, it ran over to Bea, and she could tell by the sight of its expression that it wanted to help.

"Machop," she said, "I need you to find my first-aid kit."

"Chop!"

Without any further delay, Machop began checking the discarded items on the ground, joined by its fellow Fighting-types. Soon, Machamp found the kit and walked up to Bea, showing her its find. She took it from its hand and smiled up at it.

"Thanks, Machamp."

Machamp grinned in understanding, just before Bea stood back up and jogged back to Ash, who was now surrounded by his Pokémon. For some reason, the sight of his Rookidee perched on the top of his head was rather... _charming_ -

She shook off those thoughts as she knelt beside Ash and opened up the kit.

"Here," she said. "I've got some medicinal spray and some bandages-"

"You've had _bandages_ this whole time?" Ash asked with an arched eyebrow. Then, his blood ran cold when Bea shot him a fierce glare, and he chose not to speak any further.

Within a couple of minutes, Bea was able to spray the medicine on Ash's ankle before wrapping it in a strip of bandages. Once she secured the bandages around his ankle and foot, Bea stood up, slung Ash's right arm over her shoulders, and wrapped her left arm across his torso.

"Alright," she said. "Let's get you up."

Ash eyed Bea for a quick moment before smiling and secured his arm over her neck, which she didn't object to. Then, as soon as once Ash rooted his left hand on the ground, and kept the right side of his body close to hers like a magnet, Bea slowly, carefully stood up, using all her built-up strength to hoist the former Champion onto his feet. As for Ash, he used his uninjured right leg to support himself and prevent himself from falling over and taking Bea with him.

Fortunately, this combined effort did the trick, and Ash was standing upright once again. He had to keep his injured foot from touching the ground, and to this end, Bea kept him propped against her body for support.

"You alright?" Bea asked worriedly.

"Y-Yeah," he replied. "I-It stings a little, but I'll live."

"That's good."

At that moment, Bea realized how close their faces were again. With her face reddening, she glanced at her Pokémon.

"Guys, grab as much as you can. We're finding a way outta here."

Machamp, Machop, and Machoke growled and grunted in agreement. Then, Machamp picked up Bea's bag, making sure to keep the torn hole covered, while Machop and Machamp picked up whatever discarded items they could find. And as for Pikachu, he scurried up Ash's other shoulder, his cap in his mouth.

"Oh!" Ash took the cap from Pikachu. "Thanks, buddy."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked in response. Then, Ash started rubbing his chin with his unoccupied hand, causing the small Mouse Pokémon to emit a satisfied coo.

Bea couldn't help but smile a little at the sight. For some reason, seeing Ash and Pikachu's interactions evoked a feeling of nostalgia within her. Clearly, they were more than Trainer and Pokémon. They were like brothers.

It reminded her of her father and his Machamp...

"Hey, Bea."

Bea realized Ash and Pikachu were now looking at her. "Y-Yeah?" she asked.

Ash gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"H-Huh?" Then, Bea smiled back at him, feeling her cheeks grow slightly hot. "No problem, Ash. I-I mean, you're the one who bandaged my arm." She looked away bashfully. "I-If anything...I should be the one thanking you..."

"Aw, don't mention it, Bea!" Ash replied. "I was just trying to help out a friend!"

**_"Losers are those who don't know how to win, while winners are those who know how to lose. After all, how can you be a winner if you don't know how to lose first?"_ **

"No, I'm serious..." Bea looked at Ash, her cheeks flaring up even more. "No matter how annoyed you were with me, you were still trying your best to be patient and understanding. You listened. And me? I kept writing you off, even when you did what I should've done and bandaged my arm. I was so arrogant and stuck-up. I was in so much denial that I couldn't even see the problems that were right in front of me." She took a somber, deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ash. I was so terrible to you."

"Well, it's not like I don't understand that," Ash replied sympathetically. "I mean, you _did_ tell me you had a long winning streak. If I had a winning streak like yours and it got broken so badly by someone like Leon, I...I don't know _what_ I'd do, but I know that my own Pokémon wouldn't recognize me anymore."

"Yeah, that." Bea cracked a small smile. "That's also why I wanted to thank you. If I hadn't met you, I would've alienated my Pokémon, my...my friends... At that rate, it wouldn't have been able to beat Leon, or anyone else for that matter..."

"Chop!"

Bea looked down and saw Machop looking up at her, her deactivated flashlight in hand-

"Huh?"

"Hm?" Ash looked at Bea. "Is something wrong, Bea?"

She looked back at him. "My flashlight's not working."

"Well, turn it on."

"It _is_ on, Ash. It must've ran out of battery."

"Well, that's not good." Then, Ash blinked in surprise. "But wait..."

"How come we can see each other?!" the two exclaimed at the same time.

"Pika!" Pikachu suddenly squeaked, pointing upward. Ash and Bea followed the Mouse Pokémon's finger, and what they saw next stunned them beyond belief.

They had fallen into a spacious, expansive cavern, illuminated by nothing but the bright, glittering jewels that decorated its rocky walls, stalactites, and stalagmites. These jewels were colored in various shades of blue, green, and in-between, giving the entire cavern a magnificent, calming cyan glow that made Bea and Ash's surroundings as clear as day. It was nothing short of astounding and majestic.

" _Wow_..." Ash breathed out in wonder.

"It's so... _beautiful_..." Bea whispered.

"Well, I guess we don't have to worry about falling off cliffs anymore."

Bea stifled a giggle before she could help herself, but unfortunately for her, this didn't go unnoticed by Ash. The former Champion stared at her incredulously.

"Did...Did I just hear you-?" he began.

Bea's small smile turned into a pronounced frown. "You didn't hear anything!" She stubbornly stuck out her chin. "Come on! Let's find a way outta here."

"Well, if you say so..."

But Ash was smiling as the two began trudging along the cavern, trailed by their Pokémon and circled by Ash's Rookidee from above. Pretty soon, Bea's frown reverted back into a smile of her own. She couldn't help but feel assuaged by Ash's company. If she were to tell her past self, the Bea from a couple of hours ago, that she would be trapped with the same tourist who utterly annihilated her team with a party of newly-caught Pokémon, and yet would become so appreciative of his personality and presence, her past self would've laughed.

But here she was. Helping out the same tourist who utterly annihilated her team with a party of newly-caught Pokémon. Who just so happened to be a former Pokémon Champion.

It was the wake-up call she desperately needed.

"So, Bea?" Ash asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, Ash?" Bea replied, more fondly than she would've liked to admit.

"How long have you had your Pokémon?"

"Oh, them?"

Bea looked at Machamp, Machop, and Machoke. Machamp had allowed Pikachu to scurry up to its shoulder, Machop was becoming good friends with Scorbunny, and Machoke was lagging behind all the others, visibly exhausted as usual.

"I've had Machamp the longest, since he was just a Machop. My father caught him for me."

Ash shot her a playful grin. " _You_ , Ms. I-Do-One-Armed-Push-Ups-With-Boulders-On-My-Back, having a _father_? HA! And I thought you were made in a laboratory or something!"

Then, Bea grinned back at him. "Do you want me to drop you or not?"

"Anything but that, Bea!"

"Anyway..." Bea looked up at the hanging stalactites with nostalgia. "Dad gave Machamp to me as a present for my fifth birthday. He's been my training partner for the longest time. Then, when I turned ten, I went on a journey through Galar and caught Machoke when he was also a Machop. The Machop I have right now, I caught him last year." Then, she gave Ash a sideways glance. "What about you? What's the story with your Pokémon?"

"I caught Scorbunny on my first day in Galar," replied Ash. "Before I caught him, he was the local troublemaker. He stole some scones from me and it was a chore to find him."

Bea arched an eyebrow. " _That's_ why you caught Scorbunny? Because he stole some _food_ from you?"

"Well, he also got on the bad side of a local shopkeeper. It seems like he had enough of being targeted by Scorbunny, so he tried to take matters into his own hands. Luckily, I stepped in for Scorbunny and gained his trust in the process. And as for Rookidee..." Ash looked up as Rookidee soared overhead. "It got left behind by its flock because it hurt its wing. In a bad storm, I believe. I helped heal its wing and then got it back to its flock, but by that point, it had gotten attached to me and decided to go with me instead. So I just caught it."

"Really? Neither of them were caught in a battle? They just willingly went with you?"

"Well... _yeah_. I guess that's pretty much it." Then, Ash frowned at her. "Hey, not _all_ Pokémon have to be caught through Pokémon battles, you know."

"I know, I know. I've faced Trainers who caught their Pokémon that way before. It's just..." Bea cast a gaze towards the rocky ground. "I always wind up beating them..."

" _Really_?"

"Yeah. It seems like you're the first person to beat me with Pokémon you didn't have to battle in order to capture. Then again...maybe you're the second."

Ash blinked. "The second?"

"I dunno. I feel like Leon and Charizard have some special bond going on between them. Kinda like what you've got with your Pikachu. Hmmm..." Bea softened her gaze. "Maybe that's also what I've been missing. I need to further improve my relationships with my Pokémon..."

"Well, you never know until you start trying, right?"

Bea smiled. "Yeah, I suppose." Then, she looked at him again, confused. "Wait, you didn't tell me about how you caught Pikachu!"

"Pikachu? Oh!" Ash's youthful auburn eyes shone the brightest they could ever shine, stunning Bea. "Pikachu's been with me since the beginning! He was my first Pokémon!"

"Your _first_ Pokémon? Huh. I don't remember there being a region where Pikachu is a starter-"

Ash chuckled sheepishly. "W-Well, it's a funny story. See, I was so excited about starting my Pokémon journey that I, uh, I overslept. And because- HEY!"

Bea had started laughing. "You _overslept_?! WOW! For some reason, I'm not surprised at all!"

"I was ten, alright?! That was a long time ago. A-Anyway, because of that, I couldn't get a proper starter Pokémon to call my own. He-Hey, come on, Bea; stop laughing! Pikachu was all Professor Oak had, so I took what I could get. But things didn't get off to a great start."

Once the last of her laughter finally died down, Bea looked at Ash inquisitively. "What d'you _mean_ things didn't get off to a great start?"

"Well, for starters, Pikachu hated me at first sight."

" _Hated_ you?" Bea shot a glance at Pikachu, who by now had perched himself atop Machamp's head and looked like some valiant adventurer. "What for? You two are like brothers!"

"Well, I'm not sure what happened," Ash replied nostalgically. "Maybe I left a bad first impression, maybe Pikachu had an attitude problem, who knows? One thing's for sure. I thought my days as a Pokémon Trainer were already numbered."

Bea looked back at Ash, her curiosity piqued. " _Then_ what happened?"

"Then I tried to catch my first Pokémon, a Spearow. Because Pikachu chose to be so uncooperative, it, uhhhhh...it didn't end well. And I _really_ made it angry in the process. Spearow called over a bunch of its friends, and they started chasing after me and Pikachu."

"Unsurprising," Bea replied dryly.

Ash ignored her, for his expression looked absolutely warm and fond. "We tried to get away as fast as we could, however we could, but the Spearow were so persistent. They kept pecking us and pecking us. One thing's for sure; you can never, ever underestimate the power of an angry Spearow. And then, just when it looked like we were cornered and finished, I did what any other Trainer would do and shielded Pikachu."

The Gym Leader's eyes enlarged incredulously. "You _did_?!"

"Mm-hm. If the Spearow were going to hurt Pikachu, well, then they'd have to get through me first."

Bea blinked slowly. "Wow, Ash... I'd call you brave...if you weren't acting so _stupid_ at the same time!"

" _Stupid_?!" Ash looked at Bea. "What is so stupid about protecting your own Pokémon? Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same with any of _your_ Pokémon!"

Bea was about to retort when a certain memory suddenly reentered her mind. She and her Pokémon had just arrived in the Wild Area earlier in the day to begin their training regiment. They came across a Rhydon almost immediately, and in its instinct to defend its territory, the Drill Pokémon attacked them...

"W-Well..." Bea looked away with a small blush. "Y-Yeah, I guess..."

It was Ash's turn to blink slowly. "What do you mean I guess?"

"W-Well, i-it's not like my Pokémon are absolutely defenseless newbies! I see to it that they're trained to their maximum potential, and then some. When danger comes lurking around the corner, they're able to handle the threat in a matter of seconds!"

"And you?" Ash asked. "What do _you_ do if your Pokémon are in danger, Bea, and they have no way of fighting back?"

"I give the threat a really big beat-down, just so you know." Bea stuck out her chest proudly. "In fact, sometimes I fight _alongside_ my Pokémon if I'm ever given the chance!"

"You fight _alongside_ your- You know what, never mind. A-Anyway, where was I?"

"You were about to get pecked to death by a bunch of Spearow?"

"...Y-Yeah, that part. Anyway, I was shielding my Pikachu and saying a bunch of stuff about me being a Pokémon Master who'd defeat and capture all of them. I dunno, I forgot most of it."

"Good thing you did. The summation alone makes it sound like you were saying a bunch of horribly cheesy stuff."

Ash sighed with embarrassment before continuing, "I had laid down Pikachu's Poké Ball, expecting him to go back inside for his own protection. Instead, Pikachu rushed to my rescue." Ash's auburn eyes glimmered lovingly as he chuckled. "I'll never forget that moment."

 _"Wow..."_ Bea thought as she surveyed her companion's face in wonder. _"Indeed he wouldn't..."_

"And from that point on," Ash concluded, "I knew I could count on Pikachu, and he felt the same way for me." Then, the raven-haired boy looked over his shoulder. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu called in response, giving his Trainer a peace sign from atop of Machamp's head.

Ash refocused on Bea. "So, yeah... I guess that's the full story behind me and Pikachu. You could say it's the reason why I'm still here with Pikachu, even after all these years. We may have been through a lot, and sometimes our friendship is threatened, jeopardized. But we always powered through everything together. Pikachu's had my back and I had his back, no matter what." Then, he gave her a proud grin. "Heh, bet you can't beat that kind of story with one of your own, huh?" Then, he was puzzled by the silence he received from Bea. "Hey, Bea?"

But Bea continued staring at him in awe. _"Wow... There goes the last of my doubts about his experience. Looking into his eyes, I can tell those eyes have seen a lot. And yet, when I look into them, it's like a child's still staring back at me. That story of how he and Pikachu met, it must be why Ash is so upbeat and confident, even in the face of a dilemma like this. As long as Pikachu's with him and supporting him all the way, he's got nothing to fear. And even if it took him a while, it must be why he was able to become a Champion...because of all of the hardships he endured together with Pikachu. This sort of experience would weather down anyone else, even me...but not him..._

 _"I...I wonder if_ I _could be like Ash..."_

"Alright," Ash suddenly said while wiping his forehead with his free forearm. "I think I need a little rest..."

"O-Okay." Bea looked around before spotting a rocky corner surrounded by crystals. "Let's sit here."

The two hobbled over to the corner, and Bea gently guided Ash into a sitting position on one of the smoother and smaller rocks, located at the foot of a steep incline. Then, with a relieved sigh, Bea walked to the other side and leaned against a larger rock. As the seconds went by and turned into minutes, Bea eyed the jewels surrounding them, admiring how they were glittering and gleaming. At one point, she spotted a bright-green jewel the size of a baby's head, which turned out to be pure and clear enough to make distorted reflections. Machop and Scorbunny became fascinated by this jewel and started fighting over who among them could use it as a makeshift mirror for their own amusement.

"Hey!" Bea barked upon noticing the two quarreling Pokémon. "Knock it off, guys!"

"Whoa, look at that one, Bea!" Ash suddenly cried, pointing ahead.

Bea looked across her shoulder and saw a gigantic, sapphire-blue crystal mightily protruding from the ground. Even at a small distance, it towered right over her and Ash and was large enough that they could see their reflections. Her interest piqued, the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader walked a couple of feet to approach it. She could hear Ash standing up with a tiny grunt and limping after her.

"Look at us," Ash said as he stared into his reflection. "You know, one time, I was in Kalos, and I was going through the Reflection Cave."

"The Reflection Cave?" Bea asked, shooting Ash a surprised sideways glance. "What's that?"

"A cave kinda like this one, full of crystals that you can see your reflections in. It turns out the crystals in the Reflection Cave were also gateways to another world that is just like ours."

" _Another world_?" Bea rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Pffft, yeah right-"

"No, I'm serious, Bea! Other worlds exist, some of which can be just like ours. The world I came across in the Reflection Cave was _exactly_ like ours, except the people and Pokémon in there were opposites of ourselves. For example, my other self was a timid guy who'd cry easily and couldn't win a battle even if his life depended on it."

"A crybaby Ash?" Bea smirked jokingly. "Heh. That doesn't sound _too_ far off the truth."

Ash ignored her as he continued to absentmindedly stare into his reflection. "I wonder what you'd be like in that kind of world..." He blinked slowly. "I think she'd be like my other self, actually..."

"Oh, really?" Then, Bea thought about Ash's description of the other world. "Well, I suppose you're right..."

"Yeah. She'd probably be timid, sheltered, sweet-"

Bea frowned. " _Excuse me_? I'm sweet too."

" _Chop_!"

Bea looked over her shoulder and saw Machop waddling over to Machamp. Its memory seemed to have been jogged by something in her latest statement. The tiny Superpower Pokémon squeaked beseechingly at Machamp, who understood instantly. The larger Fighting-type reached into Bea's bag and pulled out something, which it gave to Machop. With a grin and a squeak of gratitude, Machop then ran up to Bea's side and held out the item for her to see.

Her eyes widened: it was a chocolate bar.

"HEE-HEE!" Machop chirruped, smiling widely at her and flexing its arm.

"Oh, thank you."

With a gentle smile, Bea took the bar, tore the wrapping open, and took a bite out of the bar. Once she did, she felt as if her mouth had been bathed in an elixir of creamy richness and smoothness. Her entire tongue was assailed by a strong yet sweet taste that only Arceus could possibly create and only Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf could perfect. She could feel the chocolate melting from a sleek solid to a soothing liquid, its sweet flavor imprinting itself upon her tongue and the roof of her mouth. The tens of thousands of taste-buds coating her tongue were all doing jumping-jacks at the same time, each and every one of them rejoicing at the detection of such a delicate and precious food. The flavor of the chocolate seemed to spread throughout her body, threatening to overflow and engulf her in a hot spring of sugary desire.

"Mmmmm!" Bea vocalized, closing her eyes and relishing in the long-forgotten taste. "It's so _good_!"

Then, a second later, she remembered she had company. She opened her eyes and saw Ash still standing beside her, his auburn eyes wide with surprise and his cheeks tinged with an imperceptible color.

"Wh- _What_?!" she cried worriedly, but she knew what this was all about. She felt her face grow hot.

"W- _Wow_ ," Ash replied. "For someone who doesn't like being called a girl, you sure can act like one sometimes."

"EXCUSE ME?!" Bea stomped her foot, startling Ash and nearly causing him to trip on his own injured foot. "I like sweets, okay?! Who doesn't?! So don't go around trying to get the last laugh like you're indebted to one, alright?!"

"Huh?" Ash's eyes suddenly widened. "Whoa, wait a moment, Bea-"

"D-Don't you 'wait' me, _tourist_!" Bea whipped her face away, trying to avoid letting Ash see more of her blush. "Lo-Look, j-just because we buried the hatchet and are now buddies doesn't mean you get to call me a girl, alright?!"

"No, wait a minute, Bea-"

"Oh, don't you deny it, Ash! That's _exactly_ what you meant, wasn't it?!" She glared at him again. "Listen here-"

"Bea, wait a sec-"

"I blushed because I ate a chocolate bar after Arceus knows how long! We all do it! I'm sure _you_ would too, given the big appetite I saw back at the mouth of the cave!"

Ash buried his face in his palm. " _Beeeeeaaaaa_..."

Bea crossed her arms. "You know, you've got a lot of NERVE trying to defend yourself, Ash! How many times have I told you not to call me a girl?! Can't you respect my wishes?!" Then, she gritted her teeth as a thought dawned on her. "Or is it because we're the only two people in this cave, and you're a guy while _I'm_ the girl?! You must be _enjoying_ this, huh?!"

Ash's face flew out of his hand. "Where are you even GETTING this from?!"

She ignored him. "Y-Yeah, you must be glad to be trapped down here with no one but a girl, huh?!" Her face grew redder and redder with every word she spoke. "I bet you're waiting for the perfect op-"

Ash finally had enough. "BEA, HOLD STILL FOR A SECOND!"

"NO! I WILL NOT-"

"I THINK I SEE LIGHT!"

"YEAH, YOU-" Bea's mind suddenly became blank. "Wait, wha?"

Ash limped over to her and took her uninjured arm, which was still holding the partially wrapped chocolate bar. He raised it, and finally, Bea realized what he was talking about when she saw the glint on the wrapping.

"Did you see that?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I did." Bea looked around. "But...I don't see any exits anywhere. It's probably the crystals-"

"No, that glint of light is way too bright for it to be one of the crystals." Ash bent the chocolate bar wrapping at an angle, causing it to glint again. "There! See that? It's also yellow."

"R-Really?" Bea experimentally bent the wrapping again, watching as the plastic glinted. " _Ohhh_! Yeah, I see that!"

"Where is it coming from...?"

Ash started glancing around, his gaze attentive and on the lookout for any sources of yellow light. Then, a newer instinct tugged at his mind, and the raven-haired boy looked up. A split-second later, his eyes widened, and his lips curled into a joyous smile.

"Bea!" he cried, pointing upward. "Up there!"

Bea followed Ash's index finger and saw it: a ray of light pouring into the cave above the steep incline. It was far enough that the light actually couldn't properly illuminate anything on the cave floor, but it was there nonetheless. No one could miss it. The light shone nicely and brightly, like a twinkling star.

"I see it!" Bea cried.

Without a second thought, the Gym Leader ran up to the incline and began scrambling up its rough face, ignoring every time her feet slipped a little on the damp rocks. Ash gasped and tried to hobble after her, but stopped once he was at the foot of the incline. He momentarily looked down at his injured ankle before looking back up at Bea.

"Bea!" he called. "I won't be able to climb!"

"That's okay!" Bea called back. She stopped, held onto a rock that was securely embedded into the incline, and glanced down. "Machamp, take Ash!"

"Champ!" Machamp barked. Then, using one of its muscular arms, the Superpower Pokémon effortlessly scooped up Ash, cradled him to his chest like a mother would to her baby, and used its remaining three arms to scale up the incline.

"Whoa!" Ash cried, his eyes wide with childish wonder. "Great idea!" He glanced over his shoulder. "Hop on, guys!"

"Pika!"

Pikachu and Scorbunny quickly scurried after Machamp. They scaled enough of the rocky wall and were able to climb on to Machamp's legs before either of them could slip off. Then, they scurried up the Superpower Pokémon's bulky body and finally perched themselves upon their Trainer's shoulders. Meanwhile, Rookidee flew on ahead to join Bea, while Machop and Machoke climbed the incline as well, supported by the muscles in their own bodies.

Upon seeing no one would be left behind on the cave floor, Bea smiled in relief and continued her trek towards the source of the light. She climbed and climbed and climbed, ignoring the stinging pain that shot up her injured arm every time she clutched at a rock, gently tugged at it to test how secure it was, and then held on tight. She didn't care about that at all.

The only thing on her mind now was getting herself, Ash, and their Pokémon out of the cave. She owed Ash that much.

Finally, after minutes of climbing, Bea reached the source of light, only to find Ash's Rookidee already there. It chirped at her enthusiastically before staring into the light.

"What is it, Rookidee?" she asked. "Is it what I think it is?"

Rookidee chirped again before half-flying, half-hopping onto her shoulder. She stared through the light herself and could faintly see, through all of the blinding golden, signs of lush vegetation on the other side. Her heart skipped a beat as she grabbed one of the many rocks obstructing her path, using her uninjured arm, and then dislodged it.

"Ash!" she called excitedly. "It goes outside!"

"Wait a minute, Bea!" Ash cried in warning.

"Pika!" Pikachu added with concern.

But Bea didn't hear him, for she was too preoccupied with pulling at another, larger rock in her way. With every passing second, her heart was beating rapidly in jubilation at the thought of finally being out of the cave, just after she had done some soul-searching. Her mind began to wander on what she would do once she was out in the open again...

What she would do with Ash once this debacle was all over-

"BEA! WATCH OUT!"

Bea was pulled back into reality by the couple of pebbles that gently hit her face. She shot her head up with a gasp; the rocks above her were giving way because of her efforts. She tried to move, but only a millisecond had passed when one of the larger rocks finally fell towards her.

**"BEA!"**

She felt a pair of arms yank her away from the rock's radius and hold onto her tightly. Then, her vision was filled with the sight of additional arms hold onto the dislodged rock, preventing it from falling down any further. Bea gasped and looked beside her.

" _Machamp_!" she breathed out.

Then, she looked to her other side and saw Machoke holding back another rock that was precariously close to giving way. As for Machop, it was doing the same to yet another rock, with the assistance of Pikachu and Scorbunny.

Finally, she felt the cool breath on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Bea!" Ash exclaimed, his voice sounding like a melody in her ear. "We're getting out of this cave! _Together_!"

 _"Together..."_ Bea thought. Then, she smiled. _"Yes, that's right. I'm not in this alone."_ She looked at her Pokémon again. _"It's not like I can beat Leon all by myself. It's something I can only accomplish with teamwork. With Machamp, Machop, and Machoke by my side, I can improve myself and become a better Trainer. And_ then _we can defeat Leon. Together."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaannnnnd...FIN!
> 
> I'm so sorry this took so long to get out, you guys. If you've been following my profile, you'll know that I was very busy with updating other ongoing projects. But that does not mean I didn't enjoy writing this chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed it, in fact. And I hope you thoroughly enjoyed reading this too!
> 
> Anyway, during my research into Bea and her background, I noticed another League Card she had, which mentioned how strict her parents were during her training in Galar Karate. I thought about implementing this too, but I reconsidered that because it would've stretched out the story a little more, and I wasn't too interested in making this a full-fledged, multi-chapter fic. Since the anime likes to retcon some things for the sake of its own canon, I thought it wouldn't hurt to take a page from its book. I hope this little change makes things even more interesting for you guys.
> 
> Oh, and speaking of making this a full-fledged, multi-chapter fic, I have news for you all! I have a sequel planned.
> 
> Yes, there's going to be a sequel to "Training Harder". Unfortunately, it'll be another short fic like this one, but it'll show a very important step Bea and Ash make in their relationship. Fluffiness and cuteness are guaranteed! I will begin work on the sequel once I'm finished with this fic. Don't you fret! Exercise patience, grasshoppers!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. Training Harder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little long to get out. I found myself preoccupied with finals. But now that my workload has been lightened, here it is, everyone! The third and final chapter of "Training Harder"! An unplanned chapter, yes, but one that is sure to wrap up the first part of Ash and Bea's story! And after this, I'll begin work on the sequel! HOORAY! And keep your fingers crossed, everyone! I already have a good idea for the sequel, and I can't wait to write it out! ;)
> 
> Alright, on with the long-awaited chapter! ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: I saw the latest episode of "Pokémon: Twilight Wings", the one starring Nessa. Ohhh, please don't tell me I have to ship her with Ash too! XD XD XD
> 
> P.P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
> 
> -Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer  
> -Avoid close contact with people who are sick  
> -Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)  
> -Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly  
> -Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
> 
> And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
> 
> -Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough  
> -Not sharing food and drinks with others  
> -Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)  
> -Avoiding close contact with others  
> -Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects  
> -Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)  
> -Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
> 
> If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.

She felt like she had been trapped in that cave for years.

Bea restrained a squeal of excitement as Machamp carried her and Ash into the outside world. Even if the overabundance of unobstructed sunlight assaulted her eyes, she was just glad to rejoice in the smell of fresh vegetation and the sounds of wildlife again. Things she would never take for granted ever again.

Machamp gently set her and Ash down, letting their shoe-clad feet meet the soft, semi-wet soil underneath them. They stepped forward, raising their forearms to shield much of their eyesight from the shining lights. Once their vision slowly adjusted to the new lighting, enabling them to see more clearly, the Trainers could make out the large waterfall pouring in front of them, the crystal-clear water plummeting from a tall (but not too precariously tall) precipice. Surrounding the pair on all sides was a wall of moss- and grass-covered rocks, and the pleasant fragrance of spring hung in the air.

"Oh, wow!" Ash exclaimed, his auburn eyes wide. "I didn't even know this was here!"

"M-Me neither..." Bea whispered in amazement.

"This is so _cool_!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked. He hopped off Ash's shoulder, as did Scorbunny, and the two began running around the small valley, enjoying being back out in nature like this. They were quickly joined by Machop, who was hopping up and down in excitement.

"Heh heh," Ash chuckled upon observing his and Bea's Pokémon. "Looks like they're having fun. Who wouldn't, though?"

"Ye-Yeah..." Bea said sheepishly. She too had felt an urgent need to celebrate their escape from the cave, but something had held her back. She was above that sort of thing. At least, that was what she believed yesterday.

Then again, yesterday wasn't today. Now that she met Ash, she didn't know what exactly she believed in anymore.

 _"Ash is quite a character,"_ Bea thought. _"I learned a lot thanks to him. Who would've thought a tourist like him would be so..._ interesting _, to say the least..."_

At that moment, Bea realized she was looking straight at Ash. He didn't seem to notice, for he was more focused on his Pokémon as they frolicked around the valley. Once again, the look on his face reminded her so much of her father's face. She learned a lot from her father as well...

"Hey, uhhhhh...A-Ash?" she asked, her voice almost a squeak as she spoke up. When Ash looked at her, she realized she was fiddling with her fingers like a bashful schoolgirl. She whipped her hands down, but she could tell it was too late.

"Y-Yeah, Bea...?" Ash replied curiously. "What is it?"

**_"I...I wonder if_ I _could be like Ash..."_**

"Listen, ummm..."

But Bea's voice trailed off. She couldn't find the right words to say to the former Champion, the very boy who helped get her out of her slump. Never before had she felt humbled and meek in the presence of someone, and this foreign emotion nagged at Bea's spirit. As the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader, she worked hard to perfect an intimidating, imposing presence in order to keep challengers on their toes. And it worked. Even the most happy-go-lucky types of characters were left in silence the moment they laid their eyes on her stoic, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails demeanor. She was very proud of the reputation she built up because of it.

And now, here she was, acting like a schoolgirl in front of this mere tourist. Bea would have beat herself up if she hadn't felt so... _weird_ around Ash.

 _"Great,"_ she thought. _"Even when you're not_ trying _to do anything, you're still such a...a_ pain _to deal with, Ash! Arceus!"_

"Hey, are you alright, Bea?"

Just then, she felt a hand gently place itself over her forehead. With a small gasp, Bea pulled her senses together...only to find herself staring into a familiar auburn.

"AGH!" Bea shoved Ash away with both arms, wincing as she did so. "Wh-Wh-What're you _doing_?!"

"Y-Your face was red," Ash replied innocuously. "I was checking to see if you had a fever, that's all."

"A _fev_ -!"

Bea stopped before she could finish her sentence. After her mind reeled for a couple more seconds, she shook her head with a smile.

"N-No, I'm fine," she said calmly.

"Really?" Ash arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? If you're not sick, then I'd say you look nervous."

"Ne- _Nervous_?! Wh-Wh-Why would I be _nervous_?!"

"I'm just speaking from experience, that's all." Then, Ash's eyes broadened. "Hey, your face is red again!"

Bea whipped her head away. "No, it's not!"

"Yeah, it is! You're nervous about something, aren't you?!"

She clenched her teeth in irritation. "No, I'm _not_! I'm-I'm just a little hot under the Sun, that's all!"

"You're... _hot_."

Bea suddenly blushed at that, almost misinterpreting the context of those words.

"Under the _Sun_." Ash disbelievingly held out his hand a little to test out the humidity. "It's a little warm, but it's not _that_ hot."

"Well, it's hot for me, alright Ash?!" Bea gazed upward towards the Sun. "Look at it! It's so bright, and we've been stuck in that cold, dark cave for _hours_! How _wouldn't_ it be hot out here?!"

Ash sighed and refocused on the Pokémon. "If you say so."

Bea continued looking up at the Sun, silently praying to Arceus that Ash was no longer paying attention to her red face. All the while, she raised her bandaged forearm to block her eyes from the shining, golden sunlight. She didn't even _want_ to know how she looked in that moment. For all she knew, some Pokémon might mistake her head for a Tamato Berry-

All of a sudden, a large, dark shadow passed over her face, providing her with some well-needed shade for a second. The shadow left as quickly as it came, its presence accompanied by a soft, cool breeze. She didn't think anything of it at first. Then, another second later, the dark curtain flew over her again, this time attracting her attention.

Keeping her arm positioned directly over her face, Bea squinted through the tiny rays of sunlight shining from behind her skin, obstructing her vision. A second and another pass later, she could make out the outline of the massive avian wings of purplish-black, along with the squarish shape underneath them.

She gasped in recognition, just as a mighty caw filled the air.

"Whoa!" Ash cried, his attention having been caught too. "It's the Flying Taxi!"

"Pika!" added Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon looking up as well.

"Wh-What?" Bea asked incredulously. "But how?"

The menacing Corviknight slowly descended to the ground, the purplish-black cab squeaking and creaking lightly. Once it safely set the cab on the soil, the Raven Pokémon landed beside its cargo and lowered its large body, giving Bea and Ash a good look at the sole passenger.

"Ohhh, thank goodness!"

The middle-aged man wearing the thick, dark-blue jacket; gray jeans; brown, fingerless gloves; aviation safety goggles; and brown ushanka hopped off the Corviknight. Bea gawked at him disbelievingly.

 _"Not only is it the Flying Taxi!"_ she thought. _"It's the_ same _Cabbie who took me to the Wild Area! What are the odds?"_

"I've been looking _everywhere_ for you!" the Cabbie exclaimed.

"You...You _have_?" Bea asked.

"Yeah." The Cabbie walked up to her and held out something. "Here."

Bea looked at his gloved hand...and her eyes turned wide. "My phone!"

"Mm-hm." The Cabbie smiled as the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader took it from him. "You left it."

Bea's cheeks became pink with embarrassment. "O-Oh."

She gazed longingly at her phone, her mind wandering off.

 _"These past few hours...all because I was dumb enough to put my phone down and forget about it..."_ Her grip tightened across her cellphone. _"Who knows what would've happened if...?"_

"Hey, _I_ remember you!"

"Huh?" Startled by the Cabbie's voice, Bea looked up in surprise. "What, me?"

But the Cabbie was no longer looking at her. Instead, he was looking at-

"Oh, you're the same Cabbie who brought me to the Wild Area!" Ash exclaimed.

"Wow, what a small world, huh?!" the Cabbie exclaimed with a wide smile. "I dropped you off the day before yesterday!" He crossed his arms, evidently impressed. "So I guess you stayed in the Wild Area since then, just like you said."

The former Champion nodded. "Yep! And I told you I'd make progress there! Rookidee!"

A chirp responded, and the Tiny Bird Pokémon landed on Ash's shoulder. The Cabbie's lips curled into a smile.

"And you managed to catch yourself a Pokémon," the middle-aged man remarked. "Didn't you say you'd be making a lot of captures there, though?"

Ash chuckled sheepishly. "We-Well, I didn't have as much luck as I hoped. But it gave my other Pokémon opportunities to become stronger! Isn't that right, guys?!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, while Scorbunny hopped up and down and punched at the air in excitement.

"Hm..." The Cabbie continued to smile. "Well, I'm glad you got a taste of the Wild Area, Ash."

Finally, Bea's logic caught up with her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, w-wa-wait a minute!" she squeaked, her voice cracking. She pointed a finger at the Cabbie. " _You_ dropped _him_ off at the Wild Area?!"

"Huh?" Ash asked in confusion.

"Well, yeah," the Cabbie replied calmly. "Of course. I mean, it comes with the job, after all." He chuckled and glanced at his Corviknight, who had begun to chat with Ash's Rookidee. "But to think Corviknight and I took the _both_ of you to the same place in a short amount of time. What're the odds of _that_?"

"Very low..." Bea whispered, almost to herself.

Then, the Cabbie remembered something. "Oh, speaking of which..." He gazed at Bea and Ash. "What're you two doing _here_?" He then looked around. "I don't remember this being on any of the maps I've got."

Upon hearing his question, Bea couldn't help but smile and stare fondly at Ash and her Pokémon. Ash and Machop were flashing identical smiles at her, Machamp was nodding with approval, and Machoke looked rather embarrassed. All of this the product of a series of infinitesimal chances and wacky probabilities...

She looked at the Cabbie again.

"We were...training hard."

* * *

"So, Bea, what's next?"

Ash's words pulled Bea from her reverie. Taking one last look at the Wild Area as it became nothing more than an ocean of mostly green and brown, the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader turned towards the former Champion, who had Pikachu on his shoulder as per usual. They were both seated in the cab as it gently rocked back and forth. They could hear Corviknight cawing as it slowly, carefully flew through the sky. Unlike yesterday, the sky was clear, and the trip was barely impeded by the soft breeze.

"H-Huh?" she asked blankly.

"What's next for you?" Ash asked with that youthful smile of his. "Are you gonna try challenging Leon again?"

"Challenging Leon again? After only a day of training in the Wild Area?" Bea rolled her eyes. "I don't think so."

"O-Oh. Well, that _does_ make sense."

She smirked at him. "Spoken like a true Champion."

Ash's eyelid twitched, but he dismissed the sarcastic response and asked, "Then what're you gonna do now?"

"What am I gonna do now?" Bea promptly looked out of the window again, her mind wandering. "To tell you the truth...I don't really know. After all that stuff you told me, about yourself and how to win and all that, I think I need to rethink my entire strategy."

"Well, whatever you come up with, know that I'll be rooting for you all the way!"

Bea's eyes enlarged, and she looked at Ash in surprise. "You...You _will_?"

"Of course!" Ash's smile widened. "You're my friend after all, Bea! And friends root for each other, no matter what!"

"I'm...I'm your _friend_?"

He became confused. "W-Well...o-of course! What else would I be to you?"

Bea couldn't believe what she was hearing. For her entire life, she never had any friends outside of her trusted Pokémon. Acquaintances, yes, but never any friends. It wasn't that she found people inherently untrustworthy. But she knew from experience that emotions tended to make things messy and complicated. She liked to keep people at arm's length so as to avoid any unnecessary burdens they might bring into her life. After all, why make their problems hers if it was theirs to begin with?

It was a practice and belief that she developed over the years, and it had become her defining characteristics throughout her career. The local news channels and talk shows liked to point out her cold, distant approach to all matters, battling or otherwise, and speculate whether the tough-as-nails, no-nonsense Gym Leader of Stow-on-Side was biologically capable of smiling. But of course she was capable of smiling. She just didn't like to do it that often.

Unfortunately for her, this was one of those occasions where she did.

"Th-Thanks, Ash," she said bashfully. "I'm glad you think of me as a friend. I...I think you're my friend too."

 _"Wait, what?"_ a small part of her mind thought blankly.

"Ah gee, thanks!" Ash scratched his cheek sheepishly. "To think we wound up like this, though. I thought we'd hate each other's guys from the moment we met!"

She smirked playfully. "Ehhh, I still hate you for beating me. I wasn't even at the top of my game that time."

Ash's eyes shone with determination. "Ohhh, so you want a rematch?"

"Well, not yet. I think I'm gonna need to train some more. Plus, I need to find out where my true strength lies." The Gym Leader looked out of the window again. "Once I find it, then we can have that battle."

"Oh, cool! Well, I wish you the best of luck, Bea!"

Suddenly, Bea remembered something, and she looked at Ash once again.

"Hey, uh...didn't you say you traveled with other people before?" she asked.

"Yeah, you heard correctly."

"Oh, good." Then, before Bea could help herself, she quickly added, "Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I accompanied you on your journey across Galar."

...

"Wait, what?" Ash asked blankly.

"What?!" Bea asked, surprised by her own words.

* * *

She was hoping it wouldn't come down to it, but it did.

Bea stared into the computer screen, her face hot and filled with unexpected anxiety as she waited for the other end to pick up. The ringing noise was fittingly low-pitched and ominous to her ears. After a couple of minutes that felt like hours of unbearable waiting, the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader found herself looking at the face she wanted to see the most.

"Hey, Dad," she greeted softly.

"Ahhhh, Bea!" the tan-faced man exclaimed boisterously.

His arms shot outward in the midst of his excitement, and Bea could hear a sudden clattering noise, followed by a bestial grunt of unpleasant surprise. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the man's clumsiness.

"It's been a while!" The man leaned forward a little, his gray-and-white-streaked hair glimmering from the light peering outside. "My, my, you look more and more like your mother every day, Arceus rest her soul!"

"Ah, thanks." Bea smirked. "And I see you're getting older and older every day."

Anyone else would've been startled by the earsplitting laughter that came from the screen.

" **HAHAHAHAHA!** Mock me and my age all you want, sweetie, but I can still kick butt! HIYA! HIYA!"

He made a series of punches in the air, and Bea could vaguely see her father's Machamp in the background, slapping its forehead with its palm in disappointment. Then, when one of the man's punches got too close to the screen for comfort, she started waving her hands in desperation.

"Alright, alright, cool it down, Dad!" she exclaimed. "You've made your point!"

"Heh!" The man proudly lowered his arms. "You're right I did!" Then, his smile faltered somewhat. "Hey, I, uhhhh...I saw your battle with Leon."

Bea's heart fell a little. She may have seen that coming, but the revelation hurt regardless.

"Yeah..." She chuckled with a mixture of sadness and sheepish embarrassment. "That was a tough battle. They don't call him Champion for nothing."

"Well, I call shenanigans!" The man slammed his fist on the counter, the impact so loud that Bea could hear some nearby plates clattering. "That boy's been the Champion for far too long! I smell something fishy in the air with him! You know, I hear they might be giving Charizard something-"

Bea rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Dad! Look, Leon may be overrated, but he's no cheater. I know him, and he's a nice guy. He can't even _pretend_ to be shady if it saved his Charizard's life."

"Ehhh, well, what I know is that the referee is clearly blind, deaf, and dumb!" Her father prepared to stand up, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. "I am gonna go up to Wyndon and give that wannabe a piece of my-"

"Dad, if you do that, I swear to Arceus, I'm going to beat the living daylights out of you!"

"HA! You wish! We both know I can still beat you in a fistfight!"

"Pffft, yeah right."

"No, I'm serious! I can defeat you in ten seconds, and that's in my sleep!"

"Look, that's not the point! The point is, I'm over it, alright Dad?! Really, you _don't_ have to do anything. Yes, I felt a little down from what had happened, but I...I recovered."

 _"All thanks to someone,"_ she thought fondly, but she didn't want to say that out loud. Not when she wanted her father to tease her and hammer questions into her until the end of her days.

The screen was graced with the man's grin, which curled from ear to ear. "Heeeeey, _that's_ the spirit! I knew I raised you better than to be a childish wimp!"

Bea struggled to hold in her nervous laughter. _"If only you knew..."_

Suddenly, the man's eyes shone with a youthful joy. "Oh, hey, speaking of fistfights, when are you coming back home?!" He leaned his head in again. "You know we still have a date, right?!"

Bea chuckled. "I know, Dad, I know. Trust me, I didn't forget about our upcoming sparring session. But..." She hesitated. "The thing is..."

Her father seemed to understand, for his face slackened into vague disappointment. "Oh, Bea. I know you've got a lot on your plate, being a Gym Leader and all, but you gotta remember to set some time aside for rest and relaxation! And you don't wanna neglect your poor old man, now do ya?"

Bea snorted. "Poor old man. That's new coming from you."

"I'm serious, Bea." The older man sighed sullenly. "You know, it gets lonely around the house sometimes. And the fence still needs some renovations-"

"Just hire some handymen to do it," Bea interrupted, her tone one of restrained disbelief. "Or better yet, have Machamp and Machoke help you out. ...You _do_ remember they exist, right?"

"I'm old, honey, not senile. And I know I can do those things..." The man smiled at her. "But I'd rather have my little girl by my side helping me out, like old times... You're the only one that I can count on for these kinds of things. You really are."

Bea smiled without so much as a nasty twitch from her body. "Thanks, Dad. I'm...I'm glad you think that..."

"Then why not come home and hang out with your old man?! You know, I've been studying Mom's cookbook ever since your last visit, and I can make a killer karp-and-chips now! I mean, at least you won't be running out of the house while making a lame excuse."

Bea held back a snicker. The image of her father in the kitchen, wearing her mother's apron and kitchen mitts, was just too... _surreal_. But that outlandish scenario sounded just like her father.

"Thanks for the invitation, Dad," she said. "But really, I can't come by."

"Oh, _come on_!"

"No, I'm serious, Dad!"

"Do you want me to give that Rose guy a call?!"

"You don't even know his _number_!"

"Oh, I'll find a way!" The man raised a clenched fist. "You know I always do!"

"It doesn't matter, because..." She paused momentarily, her face ambiguous. "Because I'm taking a leave of absence."

Her father's eyes widened. "A leave of _absence_? Fr-From your _Gym_?!"

She nodded with conviction. "Yeah. You see...I told you I recovered from my defeat, right?"

Her father nodded slowly and carefully, anticipating what Bea's explanation would be. He didn't look too sure about what was going to happen next. Frankly, Bea hadn't seen such a look in her father in the longest time.

"Well," she continued, "it's because I realized something about myself."

"You realized something about yourself? What?"

"That I needed a fresh new start." Bea stared at her father's face with determination. "So, I've decided to go back to the basics, Dad."

The man arched an eyebrow with surprise. "Go back to the basics?" he repeated.

"I'm going to travel through Galar again. So I could find myself again."

* * *

Yesterday, she thought she had gone a million steps backward. Today, she realized she had taken a step forward instead.

"Here you go," a familiar maternal voice said. "Your Pokémon are all healed and ready to go."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" said another familiar voice, this time youthful and excited, like a child.

"Pikapi!"

Bea looked up and saw Ash retrieving Pikachu and his two Poké Balls from Nurse Joy and her Indeedee. Pikachu scurried up his shoulder as per usual, while the former Champion stuffed his Poké Balls into his pockets. As soon as she saw Ash gently scratching Pikachu's grin, Bea's lips cracked into a smile as she remembered the conversation they had aboard the Flying Taxi.

_**"Wait, what?"** _

_**"What?!"** _

_**"Did...Did you just say you wanted to...** _ **travel** _**with me?"** _

_**"I-I** _ **did** _**?!"** _

_**"Bea, that's** _ **exactly** _**the words I heard coming from your mouth."** _

_**"Oh. ...I guess I did just say that. F-Forget I said that-"  
** _

_**"Of course!"** _

_**"Thank you, A-"** _

_**"N-No, I wasn't talking about forgetting you said that! I was-"** _

_**"No, forget it, Ash. Th-That was a stupid request-"** _

_**"N-** _ **No** _**! I'd like for you to travel with me!"** _

_**"...You...You** _ **are** _**...?"** _

_**"Well, of course, Bea! Training to become stronger with your Pokémon is a team effort, after all. And as the classic saying goes, the more, the merrier!"** _

_**"...Thank you, Ash..."** _

With a smile, Bea stood up from the bench and ran up to Ash. She had switched out her signature Gym Leader top with a more modest shirt that wasn't skintight or cut off at the abdomen, but she retained her shorts, the basic color scheme of her uniform, and all of the symbols on her clothes.

"Scorbunny and Rookidee are ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep!" Ash replied with a cheeky grin. Then, he noticed something and looked down. "Ummm...are you sure you want to travel in _those_ , Bea?"

"What, these?" Bea lifted one of her feet to show off her light-brown sandals. "Of course! I've traveled through a bunch of terrain in these."

At first, Ash didn't have any response to that. Then, his lips curled into another smile.

"Of course you did."

"Pika-pika..." Pikachu said with concern.

With that, Bea twirled around on her heel. "Well, let's go, Ash! I'm not getting any younger, you know!"

She jogged out of the Pokémon Center, with Ash in hot pursuit. Pretty soon, they were running through the brick streets of Motostoke, so fast that pedestrians and their Pokémon had to step aside to give them leeway.

"Hey, wait up, Bea!" Ash called.

"Pika!" squeaked Pikachu.

"Huh?!" Bea looked over her shoulder and gave the boy a taunting smirk. "Awwww, what's wrong, Mr. Former Champion? Can't catch up with the likes of me?!"

A second later, Bea felt the tip of her sandal get caught on a loose brick. Another second later, she could feel the sole of her foot touch bare ground. In shock, the Gym Leader wound up tripping and falling to the sidewalk, causing a couple of nearby pedestrians to gasp. Unfazed by the fall, Bea sat up, looked over her shoulder, and saw her left sandal resting in the middle of the sidewalk, its brown strap torn.

"Aw, DRAT!"

At that moment, Ash caught up with Bea, and his eyes widened with concern.

"Bea, are you alright?!" he cried.

The Gym Leader cleared her throat as she stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a lil' fall, that's all."

At that moment, Ash saw her torn sandal strewn on the sidewalk. With a halfhearted sigh and a shrug, he bent down and picked up the sandal, letting it helplessly dangle from his finger by the strap.

"I _knew_ traveling in those sandals would be a bad idea," he said.

Bea squinted at him and noticed his lips twitching into a smug smirk. "Oh, oh yeah, laugh it up all you want, tourist! Just so you know, I've torn those sandals before. I can patch them up-"

"No, I'm getting you some actual shoes." Ash started looking around the street. "As long as you're with me, you're gonna be traveling through a whole bunch of different terrain."

"You're an idiot. Did you forget _I_ traveled through Galar once before?" Bea sneered arrogantly at him. "As long as _you're_ with me, you're not gonna get yourself lost."

"Great. That means the adventure's gonna be boring."

Bea scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Are you're telling me you find getting lost _entertaining_?"

"I wouldn't even call that 'getting lost'. I'd call it...seeking out an unexpected adventure."

"Oh, so you call getting lost an adventure?"

"Hey, every journey is an adventure, Bea. Why call it an adventure when all you have to see is the same old, same old?" Then, the former Champion's eyes lit up. "Ah, now there's a shoe store! Come on, Bea! Let's pick out something for you before we leave Motostoke."

Ash started crossing the cobblestone street, but Bea remained behind for a few moments, watching as the raven-haired boy approached the storefront window. She knew she should've been annoyed by his philosophy about getting lost, but a growing part of her...didn't _mind_ the words that were coming out of his mouth. Then again, why _would_ she mind? To her, meeting Ash was a sign from Arceus, a sign that showed up at the perfect time, when she was at the lowest point of her life. If a sign like that was going to present itself, then there was no way she was going to decline taking advantage of it and learning from it.

After all, it was a good opportunity for her to start anew. And if she started anew, who knew? Perhaps she would not only find the strength to defeat Leon, but perhaps she could also learn something new about herself...

"Hey, Bea!"

Ash's voice pulled Bea out of her reverie, and she saw the former Champion standing on the other side of the street.

"You coming?!" he called.

"Y-Yeah!" replied Bea as she followed after him. "I-I was just thinking about something..."

"Well, we gotta hurry up! We've got all of Galar ahead of us, and I don't wanna miss a thing! Especially not all the brand-new Pokémon we're gonna meet!"

As soon as she caught up with Ash, Bea followed him into the shoe store, all the while watching his back. She examined how energetic his step was, how every fiber of his being was radiating youthful excitement, how Pikachu remained close to him on his shoulder, like a true friend and partner...

How every muscle of his body moved smoothly, like a well-oiled machine-

Bea stopped, her heart dropping with realization. She once hated losing. But now, for once, she found something to hate even more than losing.

And it was being in love with this tourist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now, folks! Bea's now Ash's new traveling companion, but she realizes she's now in love with Ash, and she hates it with a passion. Typical her. XD
> 
> Anyway, though I promised you guys a sequel, it will not follow all of Ash and Bea's adventures through Galar. Like I said before, I don't trust myself to be committed to such a long-term project. I've recently found out that writing longer fics is no longer my strongest suit, while shorter fics like this are becoming my forte. Therefore, any follow-ups to this will focus on special highlights of their relationship down the road. Snapshots of how their relationship progresses, if you will.
> 
> But don't worry, guys! While this little arc will be something told through shorter fics, I do have something else planned for the upcoming sequel. I know I said the sequel will be a short fic like this, but another idea entered my mind about a week ago and I can no longer shake if off. I think it will be a good compromise to what you guys want and what I can do with this idea to the best of my ability. You can expect the first chapter of the sequel to be released either by the end of this month or sometime next month.
> 
> As for tying up loose ends, I was originally planning a scene where Bea would call Chairman Rose and Oleana and inform them about her plan to take a sabbatical with Ash. However, I didn't know where to fit such a scene other than before or after her call with her father, and I felt it would have become redundant by that point. Plus, I feel like such a scene would open up a whole new can of worms where Rose wouldn't let her go so easily, and I didn't want to drag this chapter on for too long, so I decided to technically keep that off-screen.
> 
> Oh, and Ash still does not know Bea is a Gym Leader, in case any of you were wondering. Perhaps I could just save that part for a sequel? ;)
> 
> TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. UNTIL NEXT TIME!


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